Sir, – It is clear that Eoin Drea ("Hotel quarantine system is an international embarrassment", Opinion & Analysis, April 17th) hit a raw nerve on mandatory hotel quarantine, judging by the tone of Leo Varadkar's response (April 20th).
Whatever about how cases are counted, or which parts of the world will be vaccinated this year, Mr Drea is absolutely correct that international travel is the cause of only a minimal number of cases, and that international travellers and the Irish abroad are easy targets.
Moreover, quarantine was already in place.
It is dismaying how the diaspora – business people, international and EU officials, exchange students, families, etc – have been abandoned by this administration, after years of rhetoric of being a resource. To be greeted on return to Ireland by soldiers (!) to escort arrivals to mandatory quarantine centres is in stark contrast to foreign ambassadors in Ireland defending the interests of their citizens abroad (“Italian ambassador denounces mandatory hotel quarantine”, News, April 15th). – Yours, etc,
COLIN WOLFE,
Belgium.