NPHET has recommended that the HSE begins testing close contacts of a confirmed covid-19 case twice again.
The measure had been temporarily suspended at the end of last year due to the large number of new cases being reported.
Contacts were tested on day zero, once alerted they were a close contact, and then again seven days later.
However, when testing close contacts resumed on January 29th, people were only being tested once on day 5, meaning 5 days after they last had contact with a confirmed case.
Regardless of the result, they were required to quarantine for 14 days.
Following a recommendation from NPHET, the twice testing of contacts has resumed, but a key difference is they will be tested on day zero and day 10.
If the contact receives a negative test result on day 10 and has no symptoms they will no longer be required to quarantine.
*Reporting by Kacey O'Riordan
