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The HSE has apologized after asking almost 2,000 people who received a positive Covid-19 result to alert their own close contacts due to a breakdown in its contact tracing system.<\/p>\nThe HSE has apologized after asking almost 2,000 people who received a positive Covid-19 result to alert their own close contacts due to a breakdown in its contact tracing system.<\/p>\n
Niamh O\u2019Beirne, national lead for testing and tracing at the HSE, told an Oireachtas committee the rapid rise in coronavirus cases earlier this month had \u201cexceeded the capacity\u201d of the Irish tracing system.<\/p>\n
She claimed asking people who tested positive for the virus to notify their own contacts was the \u201conly viable option\u201d available to them to \u201creset the system\u201d.<\/p>\n
It emerged earlier this month that the HSE had asked a group of people to tell their own close contacts of their positive test result and to ask them to arrange a test through their GPs to check their own infection status.<\/p>\n
Ms O\u2019Beirne was one of a number of HSE representatives who appeared before the health committee via video link on Wednesday to face questions over the breakdown in its contact tracing system.<\/p>\n
She said the decision was taken to ensure that each person was informed \u201cas quickly as possible\u201d and to allow them to be \u201caware of their status and to take action to care for themselves, and protect others from infection\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile this was clearly not ideal and we appreciate the impact on those affected, it was deemed to be the only viable option in order to deal with the most recent cases quickly and reset the system,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe apologize to the 1,971 people impacted and are this week going to call everyone we missed to check they were able to identify contacts and advise them to be tested.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the decision was taken to \u201cmaintain effective turnaround times\u201d for the population at large as the system \u201cstruggled with capacity\u201d.<\/p>\n
She told politicians that six weeks ago they were making 8,500 calls per week, but that figure had increased in the last week to more than 38,000 calls.<\/p>\n
But Ms O\u2019Beirne said the contact tracing system was \u201cback on track\u201d since October 23rd, and that all close contacts were being informed within 24 hours of the notification of a positive case.<\/p>\n
She said the HSE plans to recruit up to 800 contact tracers \u201cto ensure that we can address future demand\u201d.<\/p>\n
At that point, she added, the health service would review the requirement for further recruitment.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver 800 people are through the interview process, 274 new staff have been taken on board to date, with a further 90 staff expected to be on board by the end of this week,\u201d Ms O\u2019Beirne said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will continue bringing in 60-70 new staff to the service every week over the coming period.\u201d<\/p>\n
HSE chief Paul Reid apologized over the contact tracing breakdown last week.<\/p>\n
It comes as the public health service tries to get to grips with a second surge of coronavirus cases.<\/p>\n
Some 111,660 tests have been completed in the past seven days with a positivity rate of 5.7 per cent.<\/p>\n
There are 327 patients in hospitals with Covid-19 including 41 people in ICU.<\/p>\n
Mr Reid said hospitals, testing and tracing systems in many EU countries are under severe strain and many have greater capacity than Irish hospitals for beds.<\/p>\n
He tweeted: \u201cMany have greater capacity than our hospitals for beds & ICU. I know its hard on many, but what we continue to do is protecting us to date from ending up in the same place.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Department of Health confirmed on Tuesday they had been notified of 720 cases linked to the virus and five further deaths.<\/p>\n