Travel news live: Latest updates as Ireland adds compulsory Covid tests

Ireland is the latest country to tighten its travel rules and entry requirements.

From today, all arrivals to the country must present a negative Covid test result from a PCR or antigen test – the former having been taken within the 72 hours before travel, the latter with a window of 48 hours.

In a statement from the Irish government, ministers clarified that tests must be a “certified ‘negative/not detected’ test result (that is, not self-administered)”.

In other travel news, Germany has imposed a lockdown on all unvaccinated residents, with leaders in discussions about making vaccination mandatory by February.

Chancellor Angela Merkel described the step – which involves non-jabbed citizens being banned from all but the most essential venues (such as supermarkets and pharmacies), and came in on Thursday 2 December – “as an act of national solidarity”.

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