The Health Minister says vaccinated close contacts are now going to be sent antigen tests to do themselves.
Up until now, people didn’t have to have a test if they had been fully vaccinated and were a close contact.
It’s also emerged new modelling suggests up to 1,000 people could be admitted to hospital with covid by the end of November if restrictions were to be fully lifted.
Stephen Donnelly says this would have a huge impact on the health sector.
"If we were essentially to not continue with the restrictions, the modelling suggests that we could be at about 800-1,000 hospital cases, and this is more important - about 150-200 of those being in ICU.
"What this would mean would be very widespread cancellation of elective surgeries."
