Ireland is adding the USA, Canada, France, Italy and 12 other countries to the mandatory hotel quarantine list.
The announcement was made after a special Friday evening Cabinet meeting.
16 countries will be added to the high-risk list from Thursday, meaning all arrivals from those countries face a two-week hotel stay upon arrival.
The countries are Bangladesh, Belgium, France, Italy, Kenya, Luxembourg, Pakistan, Turkey, the USA, Canada, Armenia, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Curaçao, Maldives and Ukraine.
Albania, Israel and St Lucia are to be removed from the existing list of countries.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the changes are being made as the Government can't allow COVID-19 variants to 'set us back on the progress we have made'.
