{"id":23984,"date":"2021-11-14T10:22:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-14T15:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23984"},"modified":"2021-11-15T10:26:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-15T15:26:00","slug":"irish-government-looks-to-improve-affordability-of-antigen-testing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23984","title":{"rendered":"Irish Government Looks To Improve Affordability Of Antigen Testing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mr Martin said the country was in a much better position than this time last year, thanks to the vaccine rollout (PA)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Government will examine measures to make antigen testing more affordable to encourage their widespread use among the public, the Taoiseach has said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is set to bring proposals to Cabinet on Tuesday on the wider deployment of the rapid Covid-19 tests, but Miche\u00e1l Martin has played down the prospect of them being made free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It comes after public health experts recommended people involved in high-risk activities take two tests per week, as the number of Covid cases continues to soar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Cabinet sub-committee is set to meet on Monday to discuss the latest recommendations from the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) to curb the spread of the disease, which include a return to widespread working from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in Enniskillen following the Remembrance Sunday ceremony, Mr Martin said: \u201cWe are extremely concerned with the high rise in numbers and indeed with the impact that\u2019s having on hospitalization and admissions to intensive care units.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are looking to expand our testing and tracing, and particularly antigen testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Minister for Health will bring forward proposals with respect to the wider deployment of antigen testing, and also in terms of making it more affordable for people, to introduce a culture of greater utilization of antigen testing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added: \u201cI don\u2019t envisage the tests being made free. But we do want to encourage people to use antigen tests more regularly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said he could \u201cnever\u201d rule out the introduction of more restrictions to fight the high incidence rate of Covid-19, but he noted that Nphet had not asked for such measures in their letter to Government this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Nphet letter is not advising a whole series of restrictions. Rather, it is making use of specific recommendations in respect of working from home\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Martin said the country was in a much better position than this time last year, thanks to the vaccine rollout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the booster campaign was already having a positive impact: \u201cThe evidence internationally is that the third dose is quite impactful, more impactful than the second dose, it\u2019s been said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur data on the over 80s who have\u00a0already had the booster is encouraging in that respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut you also have to comply with existing guidance and, also, we have to collectively reduce socializations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have reopened society, the economy has bounced back, those are the positives, in terms of thousands and thousands going back to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are many positives to reopening society, but it is having an impact in terms of the delta variant being so much more transmissible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s having an impact on hospitalizations and the health service, as it is across Europe and across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have to be very mindful of that and we can never rule out having to take measures to address that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunday brought a further 3,805 confirmed cases of Covid-19, the Department of Health confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are currently 582 patients in hospitals with the disease, of which 106 were in ICU.<\/p>\n

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