Hopes Testing Of Close Contacts Will Resume This Week

The head of the HSE is hoping the testing of close contacts will resume this week.

It comes as the latest figures shows there are 1,948 COVID patients being treated in hospital, 219 of whom are in ICU.

Locally, there was a 13% increase in the number of COVID patients at the region’s main hospital over the weekend.

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There were 148 patients being treated for the virus at University Hospital Limerick last night, the highest number of any hospital in the country, and a rise of 18 on the same time on Friday, while there were 19 in Intensive Care at the Dooradoyle facility.

The testing of close contacts was suspended on New Year’s Eve due to huge pressure on the system.

Paul Reid says the service will resume if the daily case numbers stay below 2,000.