Close contacts of Covid cases are no longer being advised to get coronavirus tests in order to take pressure off the testing system, Dr Tony Holohan has said.
The Chief Medical Officer gave a grim assessment of the coronavirus situation in Ireland as another 1,620 cases were confirmed.
Speaking during a press briefing this evening Dr Holohan said that everyone should act as though they themselves a close contact as he told of the pressure currently on Ireland's testing system.
Instead they will be asked to isolate for 14 days instead.
Dr Holohan said: “We are once again in the mitigation stage of this pandemic. The alarming escalation in the incidence of the virus in the general population gives great cause for concern.
"This disease is now widespread in our communities and as a result we are asking everyone to behave as if they are a close contact.
“To support the testing system through this surge, we are no longer advising close contacts of confirmed cases to get tested. Testing and tracing is an exercise in containment and we are no longer in a containment phase.
"However, it is imperative that if you are a close contact of a confirmed case you restrict your movements and contact your GP immediately if you develop symptoms.
“The average number of contacts per case has risen from 2.5 in November to an average in recent days of 6.3. This is very far from where we need to be and I am appealing to everyone at every age to adhere to the mandated restrictions that the government has introduced – stay at home, except for essential reasons, other than for exercise up to 5km.”
Meanwhile Professor Philip Nolan said we are likely to see over 700-1000 people in hospital with COVID-19 early in the New Year.
While tonight represented a drop in cases in Dr Philip Nolan added there is approximately 4,000 positive tests that have not been included in data since December 24 as they have yet to be totally confirmed as cases by NPHET.
