''We're now scaling up to be able to test all residents and staff in nursing homes where there are confirmed outbreaks''.
The HSE has announced it will enhance its Covid-19 testing for residents and staff at private nursing homes.
It will also implement a CRM tracker to capture their most up to date data and report that back to the National Public Health Emergency Team in future.
Anne O'Connor, Chief Operations Officer with the HSE said they will now begin testing all staff and residents in nursing homes where there is a confirmed case of covid-19.
''That is something that is a clear requirement in terms of our capacity to track and provide the most accurate data in terms of the epidemic'', she said.
''Up to now we have the National Ambulance service deployed to do mobile testing in nursing homes on the basis of a suspicious case and that's continuing.
''But we're now scaling up to be able to test all residents and staff i nursing homes where there confirmed outbreaks''.
335 residential care facilities across the country are experiencing an outbreak of Covid-19 - 196 of those outbreaks are in nursing homes across the country.
Ms O'Connor added that most clusters have been in the east but the west has also seen outbreaks.
Figures show 86 in Dublin, 16 in Galway, 14 in Mayo.
