Concerns over travel restrictions this Christmas due to “significant numbers” of Omicron

More will be known next week.

Government officials have been warned that the threat of the new Omicron variant could bring an uncertainty when it comes to international travel over the Christmas period. Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan told a meeting on Wednesday that the incidence of Covid-19 transmission in the community remains high, and the future of the new variant is unknown. The Irish Times reported that there is also a fear that the situation in Ireland could become as bad as Britain, with cases of Omicron doubling each day. It is believed that the threat of the variant could prompt new restrictions on international travel to be brought in for the Christmas period. [caption id="attachment_541515" align="alignnone" width="433"] Pic: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie[/caption] While Dr Holohan did not indicate that Nphet would be proposing new restrictions, sources have said that it could be a possibility from next week as more data will have been gathered by then on the variants spread. One senior figure in the government said that Omicron could now be in the country "in significant numbers", only weeks after the first case was confirmed here. Dr Holohan has also expressed concern over the spread of the new Covid variant in the UK and within other European countries. While there is concern looming, vaccine producer Pfizer has said that tests are now showing that their booster dose gives enhanced protection against Omicron.