Covid-19: Two found after people flee Dublin hotel quarantine

The Irish Defence Forces have overseeing the hotel quarantine system

Gardaí (Irish police) are searching for one of three people who absconded from a mandatory quarantine hotel in north Dublin on Saturday.

Two of the people who left the hotel in Santry have since been found.

People arriving into the Republic of Ireland from a list of 33 countries deemed to be of high Covid-19 risk, or people who land without having recently tested negative for the virus must stay in quarantine for 14 days.

The rules took effect on Friday.

Non-compliance can result in a €2,000 (£1,700) fine or up to a month in prison.

The cost of the hotel stay, which has to be booked, starts from €1,875 (£1,593).

Another 34 people were due to enter quarantine at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry on Sunday

The Irish Defence Forces are responsible for overseeing the scheme and escorting buses from Dublin Airport to hotels.

It said there were two separate incidents of people attempting to leave the hotel on Saturday.

In the first, one person left the hotel alone.

Gardaí were informed and later located the person, who is now back in hotel quarantine.

In the second incident, two people left - one returned to the hotel but the other has still not been located.

Buses collect passengers from Dublin Airport and take them to the hotel

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said it was "not ideal" that people had absconded.

He said the Irish government was trying to create as normal an atmosphere as possible in the hotels "rather than some sort of military detention centre".

On Thursday, Northern Ireland announced plans for a system of "managed isolation" for some international travellers.

People entering Northern Ireland from so-called "red list" countries will have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days.

Which countries are deemed high-risk?

The Irish government's 0"high-risk" list is subject to change at any time and mainly comprises countries in South America and Africa, although Austria is also on the list.

Other countries include: Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Lesotho, Malawi, Eswatini, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Rwanda, Suriname, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.