In the week that the European Centre for Disease Control said the risk of further spread of new variants of coronavirus in the region is "high to very high", the Irish Government is continuing to work out measures that could help to stop their importation.
Details about how mandatory hotel quarantine for incoming passengers from high risk countries and those don't have a negative PCR test are being "fine tuned" and its hoped legislation for this will be in place by early next month.
A virologist at Trinity College Dublin has said that this has the "potential to be a really powerful way of reducing the introduction of new variants".
Dr Kim Roberts, an Assistant Professor in Virology said: "All countries that have been relatively successful in controlling it (the virus) have mandatory quarantine procedures in place."
The ECDC risk assessment on variants of concern noted that the "B117" variant that originated in the UK and which is now the dominant strain here in Ireland, appears to be easier to spread and "may cause more severe infections" than the previously dominant strain.
It also has concerns around the potential for reduced effectiveness for some of the existing Covid-19 vaccines against variants, like the "B1351" from South Africa.
As a result, the ECDC said that its modelling shows that unless public health measures continue or are strenghtened, "a significant increase in Covid-19 cases and deaths should be anticipated".
"Because the new variants, in particular the B117, has increased transmissibility so it's more easily spread from person to person, there is an increased risk that any reduction or easing of interventions will lead to rapid transmission and re-circulation of this particular variant," Dr Roberts said.
She said the main ECDC recommendation is that countries do not start to ease restrictions.
She said that if measures are eased, other mitigation strategies need to be put in their place because increased transmissibility of the variants means "we have to work harder to see the same effect in reduction of transmission".
Dr Roberts said the introduction of mandatory hotel quarantine does not mean that new "homegrown" variants could not emerge here.
"Whenever the virus is replicating, mistakes are made in the genome," she explained, adding that this could for example mean increased transmissibility.
She said this occurs "completely randomly" and can happen "in any person".
Therefore, Dr Roberts said we can reduce the risk of mutation by reducing transmission of the virus.
She said that people need to be "realistic" about the fact that current lockdown measures are going to be needed for longer.
"We need to prepare ourselves for ongoing restrictions over the coming months and have realistic expectations about the impact of the vaccines over the coming months."
Dr Roberts said that while there is optimisim around vaccinations, it will take time to see what effect they have in reducing the number of hospitalisations or transmission.
"That data will come through in the coming months. The quicker they can be rolled out to as many people as possible, the greater the impact we will see from that strategy," she said.
Because of the increased circulation of variants, the ECDC said countries will need to ensure that "layered" public health measures are "strengthened and maintained" over the coming months and that governments need to carefully manage the public's expectations around the likelihood of lifting restrictions.
