It'd be done in addition to our existing regime.
The National Public Health Emergency Team has been advised to consider introducing validated rapid Covid-19 testing to complement our existing regime.
The advice was passed on by the Health Watchdog earlier this month.
Since the start of the pandemic, almost 1.5 million Covid-19 tests have been carried out - with 111,000 of those completed in the last 7 days.
At times the system has come under strain. Recently NPHET asked HIQA to carry out an assessment of alternative tests and approaches to the current PCR regime.
It's been advised to consider introducing validated rapid testing - but clinical validation studies need to be completed first:
The Health Watchdog says rapid tests would work alongside the current testing regime and would help expand capacity in the system, reduce turnaround times and improve access.
HIQA has acknowledged they are typically less accurate compared with the PCR test. However, it says the evidence shows that effective testing strategies rely on a portfolio of tests that can be applied in different settings and situations
