The HSE will now focus testing on three different groups in a bid to stop the growth of coronavirus in care settings.
The latest plans were announced at a HSE briefing from UCD on Sunday morning with HSE CEO Paul Reid and CCO Dr Colm Henry.
Dr Colm Henry said they are focusing on three different groups to ramp up testing.
The three groups are;
- Healthcare workers and residents at a setting of a known outbreak.
- All healthcare workers and residents at a setting where there has been a new case.
- Healthcare workers in the nursing home sector.
This is to find cases early and “break the transmission early”.
Dr Henry says there are “signs of stabilisation” over recent days in hospitals.
The CCO at the HSE said the “greatest challenge” right now is tackling the outbreaks in nursing homes.
Paul Reid has said that of the 575 registered nursing homes, 455 private, remaining 20 public, 60% don’t have confirmed cases with 40% having cases.
The HSE will have conducted 4,000 tests in nursing homes after this weekend while the testing backlog has been eliminated.
Paul Reid said: “Eliminated any back log for lab testing. Now at a position where we are meeting current demand. Zero backlog.
“A total of 27 labs on board working for us as part of this response, 26 of them in Ireland.
“Across the 27 labs we have just about 1,000 lab tests in one day, 26 of those 27 carrying out 60% of the test and the remaining in Germany.
“This weekend we’ll have undertaken 4,000 tests in these residential nursing homes."
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