New rules to monitor overseas travellers flying here amid Keelings controversy

The proposals would involve those arriving into the country being asked to register their name and the location where they will self-isolate for the next fortnight in line with public health guidance.

Temperature checks on passengers arriving into Ireland are also being mooted along with checks by authorities to ensure they are quarantining.

Those who cannot provide an address may be directed to one of the State's self-isolation centres such as the 1,000-bed facility at Citywest.

Two sources with knowledge of the proposals said they would be considered at a meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 today but no decision has yet been made.

It comes as a further 39 people have died of coronavirus in Ireland, bringing the death toll to 610.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar ordered a review of travel restrictions at ports and airports last week after concern was expressed by the chief medical officer, politicians and the public about the arrival of a large number of people to work in the horticulture sector. He said while ports and airports would remain open, the Government "needs to keep travel to a minimum and ensure that passengers are interviewed on arrival and that quarantine is observed".

Meanwhile, people with no coronavirus symptoms who have been in contact with an infected person are expected to be added to groups eligible for testing within two weeks.

Keelings said all 189 seasonal workers who arrived from Bulgaria last week had been medically screened by a doctor before they travelled and had had their temperature checked when they arrived in Ireland.

They were then taken to their housing in Dublin. They cannot work for 14 days and must restrict their movement in line with the HSE's guidance.

Business Minister Heather Humphreys said she accepted there were serious concerns but they were "essential workers" because they "feed into the food supply chain".

The Government's list of essential providers classes farmers and farm workers as essential providers during the Covid-19 crisis.

Speaking to RTÉ's 'This Week' yesterday, Ms Humphreys noted that Keelings had advertised for 900 jobs to pick fruit but had only 40 applicants from Ireland.

"If the fruit's not picked, it rots in the ground, and that has serious implications for their business and it also has a serious knock-on impact on the food supply chain," she said.

The Government is also planning a national recruitment campaign to recruit a large number of temporary workers for the horticulture sector from the Live Register.

Ms Humphreys said: "At a time when there is 800,000 on income support because of Covid-19, we do need to ask the question why only 40 people applied for these jobs.

"I have no doubt there are people sitting at home at the moment who might be quite happy to get out of the house and pick fruit, but they might be afraid how this will impact on the social welfare payment or how it would work when restrictions are lifted and their old job is available again.

"So these are things we need to look at, and these are the issues that are coming up, and we want to see as a Government what we can do to help."

Testing

Meanwhile, the move to expand coronavirus testing criteria to include those who have been in contact with someone who has the infection is part of efforts to capture a wider picture of the spread of the virus.

A significant percentage of people who have the virus do not have obvious symptoms.

Currently, only people who have symptoms after being in contact with a person confirmed as positive are tested.

HSE chief Paul Reid said yesterday that there were now around 1,000 laboratory tests for coronavirus under way daily and 60pc were done in Ireland, the remainder analysed in Germany.

Around 11,500 swabs were taken from people in priority groups suspected of having the infection last week.

It will be essential to have real-time surveillance of the spread of the virus if restrictions are to be eased in the future.

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