The Government is set to make an announcement today on potentially implementing travel restrictions from Britain
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly says the measures are being considered in response to a new strain of COVID-19 found in some parts of England.
He told RTÉ this afternoon that flights and ferries from the UK would be examined.
Belgium became the latest country to ban flights from the UK because of the new coronavirus strain after the Netherlands announced yesterday it was barring air travel from Britain.
The UK's Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the new strain of COVID-19 is out of control and people need to behave as if they already have the virus, especially in the new Tier 4 areas of England.
London and the south-east are under new Tier 4 restrictions, with shop closures and a ban on travel and family get-togethers.
The announcement yesterday prompted a dash by many people before the measures were introduced, and crowds formed at some train stations in London.
The mutated version of the infection is said to be 70% more transmissible than the original COVID-19 virus.
