In a document titled "Mandatory Hotel Quarantine: Cost Summary 2021" published on gov.ie, the government has revealed that the operation of the mandatory hotel quarantine system cost the state, net of income received from paying guests, approximately €24.75 million in total to the end of October of last year.
Mandatory Hotel Quarantine System Details
As noted by the document, the mandatory hotel quarantine system operated between March 26 and September 26 of last year, and was scaled down progressively as rules for travellers from various countries were revised due to the changing COVID-19 pandemic situation.
According to the document, a total of 10,398 individuals passed through the system, which, at its peak, was a requirement for travellers from 60 countries, with the highest number of individuals being in the system at any one time being 1,008 on May 9 of 2021.
The system had a capacity of 1,607 rooms located in eight hotels during its time of highest demand.
The number of hotels involved in the system decreased to six on July 1.
Financial Figures
Approximately €9.5 million was received from paying guests who passed through the system, with the majority of individuals who were required to use the system paying for it in advance.
The total cost to the state of the mandatory hotel quarantine system of approximately €24.75 million, net of income received from paying guests, includes the cost of hotel room operations, ground transportation from sea and airports to quarantine facilities, hotel and transportation security, GP-led healthcare provision in quarantine facilities, and weekly testing of quarantine facility employees, according to the document.
The document adds that other costs incurred are related to the provision of the statutory appeals function, legal reports, public communication, entry port facilities and the rental of ICT equipment.
The document also notes that there may be some invoices that are yet to be received, but that the overall cost of the system is not expected to change much.
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