Covid-19: Situation 'somewhat worse' than outlined, say health officials

Professor Philip Nolan, chairman of the Nphet Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Close contacts of people with Covid-19 who do not have symptoms will no longer be referred for tests, as the testing system is unable to keep up with the volume of positive cases.

It comes as 1,620 new cases and 12 new deaths were confirmed yesterday, following two days of record highs. But case numbers are now rising so fast the system cannot record them accurately, according to Professor Philip Nolan, chair of the Nphet Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group.