Ireland may have to bring in more stringent checks at its airports to ensure the coronavirus remains contained whenever the country eases stay-home restrictions, Health Minister Simon Harris said on Friday.

“I would not rule out the fact that we may need to be more stringent in relation to our airports, particularly as we move out of the very, very, very serious restrictions that are in place,” Harris told the Newstalk radio station in an interview.

“There may then be a need for more stringent checks to make sure that while we’re all doing what we’re meant to be doing here, that we don’t have other people coming in who aren’t taking it perhaps as seriously in their countries as we are here.”