HSE has secretly warned the government that the state’s current Kovid-19 testing administration will not be able to cope with the increase in demand in the coming weeks.
The Sunday Independent learned that HSE chief executive Paul Raid told ministers at a Cabinet Kovid-19 subcommittee meeting on Friday. HSE currently has no potential to increase capacity beyond performing 14,000 tests per day or one lakh tests per week.
Reid warned private ministers this weekend that as the country was subject to new restrictions on viruses and Dublin, there would be no immediate solution to the obstacles in the testing process despite huge demand for lab capacity around the world.
The meeting, which was attended by Tavosich, Teniste and other senior ministers and officials, said the need for more tests in the coming weeks would raise concerns that the system could cause disruption in the coming winter flu season. Mr Reid said Ireland was the only country in the world to carry out serial inspections of facilities such as food processing plants and direct provision centers.
Ministers believe that increasing demand for the test could change the definition of the case – where people need to display Covid-19 symptoms before sending a GP for a test – or reduce serial testing in some places, such as food plants.
While other types of tests are being tested, the raid is said to have told the meeting that it is currently unlikely to increase capacity.
Paul Reid was clear that there was no immediate solution to increase lab capacity, ”a source said.
The Sunday Independent also learned that the use of antigen testing in nursing home staff, visitors and other arrangements will be taken seriously by the government in the coming weeks.
Saliva-based diagnostic tests are designed to detect the virus quickly and have been used in Germany and the UK. They do not require analysis in a laboratory setting, which means that they are less accurate than the current calibration and screening system. However, such a move would be costly and relieve pressure on Ireland’s existing lab – based testing system.
The HSE yesterday clarified that it was inappropriate to comment on matters discussed at the subcommittee meeting.
“To date, we have consistently met all the requirements for serial testing and symptomatology. We have exceeded 14,500 times in the last seven days. We continue to monitor this capacity at swabbing centers, laboratory capacity and contact tracing,” a spokesman for HSE said, adding that it would look for more capacity if needed. Recognizes that it is a competitive market ”.
An HSE spokesman added: “In the coming weeks, we will continue to increase seaboard laboratory capacity in the community and acute hospitals and maintain liaison with our foreign partner for leapfrogging capabilities. We will continue to generate more ili energy into our supply chain.”
Sim Fine leader Mary Lou MacDonald said the government had missed the opportunity to strengthen its testing regime over the summer.
“In the summer, the infection rate dropped, giving the government a chance to get this right, but it didn’t, and now the virus has caught up with us. We have to reach one lakh targets, 24-hour turning time – then we need to see what the target will be, because one lakh is not enough,” she said.
Senior public health sources said the current virus detection system was malfunctioning. “We’re like a balloon full of water right now. We’re trying to do things and do the same.
The Acting Chief Medical Officer said yesterday that health officials were concerned about the level of community transmission of Kovid-19 in Lot, Limerick, Donegal and Waterford this weekend. Ronan Glynn said.
Speaking at a leadership conference at the Healthcare Networking Conference hosted by UCD Online, he said: “If you look back on the issues of testing last March and April, we need to be proactive and tell people that we are not capable. Say we should continue to prioritize now, increase capacity and build all other components. “
Anthony Steins, a professor of public health at Dublin City University, said that as the virus spreads, it will see 1,500 new cases a day nationally by mid – October.
Patricia Kearney, a professor of epidemiology at the University College Cork, said more needs to be done to reach out to public health teams to control the explosion and help hospitals avoid overcrowding.
“The system is in trouble. In fact, the restrictions that were in place have been loosened, but there must be a balance between them, and then it is sufficient to respond quickly as an explosion appears and a fire spreads.”
Meanwhile, the government is reviewing whether the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) should be restored to $ 350 a week, as thousands of workers are expected to lose their jobs in Dublin in the coming weeks.
The government will also look into whether to reduce VAT on the hospitality industry, senior government sources said.
The Fianna F ഉണ്ട്in file includes calls to reinstate the PUP’s full rate to $ 350, including the former Minister of Agriculture, as a result of the closure of pubs and restaurants for indoor dining until October 10, when the capital was placed under Level 3 Kovid restrictions. Barry Cowan.
The PUP had to pay $ 350 to unemployed people as a result of the lockdown in March. However, changes made to the plan over the summer paid individuals according to their pandemic income, reducing Thursday’s high rate from $ 350 a week to $ 300.
A government spokesman confirmed that the issue was currently being reviewed and that various options were being considered in the context of next month’s budget.
Speaking to Brendan O’Connor on RTE Radio One, Martin said that even if a vaccine is found, it will be fully affected by the virus next year.
274 new cases of Kovid-19 were confirmed yesterday, with no new deaths.
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