Medical students drafted in as contact tracers as Covid-19 cases soar 

The HSE has begun texting the close contacts of some confirmed cases suggesting that they set up their own appointment for a virus test using a weblink. Picture: Brian Lawless

Young medical students will be among the contact tracers working over the holiday season to track a rapidly rising number of cases.

There are 25 second- and third-year students at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland who have volunteered to work alongside HSE contact tracers. They are currently being trained and are expected to start work immediately after Christmas.