300 thousand PCR tests are now being carried out here every week.
That's in excess of 5% of the population, and is three times more than were being carried out this time last year.
Chief Medical Officer, Tony Holohan says if you're a close contact of a positive case but continue to get negative antigen tests for more than 48 hours you don't need a PCR test:
"The test doesn't protect you. The self-isolation is the thing that protects you and your family. So you self-isolate number one, and that you can then use an antigen test. If it continues to be negative, at least 48 hours post symptoms, to release yourself from self-isolation. And then for anybody who does an antigen test in that circumstance and the antigen test comes back positive, we think it's important, for now, for people to confirm that with a PCR test and that people then would come forward for PCR tests."
