The Health Service Executive (HSE) is investigating an issue where people have been incorrectly informed their test for coronavirus was negative, when in fact they had contracted the virus.
The current demand for tests is around 1,200 per day, and 800 people are waiting to get an appointment at a testing centre, Mr Reid said.
The health service had also identified cases in 32 residential centres for people with disabilities, 14 in mental health residential facilities, four direct provision centres, and three prisons, Ms O’Connor said. There was also a “significant” pressure around the availability of PPE gowns across the system, and “until we secure a further delivery from China we will be tight on gowns in some places”, he said.
This is in addition to 300 medical interns who will join the frontline effort, and 4,500 non-final year student nurses who will work as healthcare assistants. Senior Government figures stress that while they do not want to extend the restrictions further, they will do so if it is deemed necessary. It is stressed that the period after the lockdown will see tests turned around more quickly, with the criteria for having a test broadening from those showing two symptoms of the virus to just one.
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