Thousands of close contacts of positive Covid-19 cases will not be contacted by the HSE after the contact tracing system was overwhelmed by cases last weekend.
The HSE is to send a text message today asking between 2,000 to 2,500 confirmed cases - who have already been informed by text of their infection - to tell their own close contacts to immediately seek a Covid-19 test, according to the Irish Times.
Contact tracers faced an unprecedented number of confirmed cases last weekend, resulting in a backlog of cases over a three day period from Friday to Sunday.
Normally, contact tracers call newly-infected people to ask for their close contacts and then call those close contacts to arrange for them to be tested in order to stem transmission of the disease.
The decision was taken to not contact the infected people for their close contacts over fears it would lead to a delay of days in contact tracing.
The HSE instead decided to focus on tracing the contacts of Monday’s cases, to avoid a backlog amid the continuing high number of cases being reported daily.
Temporary measure
However, the close contacts of vulnerable people aged over 70 and schoolchildren among the confirmed Covid-19 cases over the three days are being sought and contacted.
“In response to the high numbers of people testing positive for Covid-19 over the past weekend, and in a continuing effort to maintain effective turnaround times for contact tracing, the HSE is asking a limited number of people to alert their own close contacts of their positive result as a once-off measure,” said Niamh O’Beirne, the HSE manager in charge of testing and tracing.
“This step is being taken to ensure that each person receives information as quickly as possible, allowing them to be aware of their status as a close contact and to take action to care for themselves, and protect others from infection.”
The “one-off temporary measure” was being implemented in consultation with GPs “to ensure those affected are tested as quickly as possible,” said Ms O’Beirne.
Covid-19 cases have five close contacts on average, but the HSE said that the removal of school cases, who have more contacts on average, means a potential 8,000 close contacts could be affected.
It comes as 1,269 new confirmed cases of the disease were reported yesterday, with 13 further deaths in the highest daily number since late May.
