Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 25 June 2020

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response

Covid-19: Testing and Tracing

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Experts tell us that testing capacity alone can be meaningless unless it is fast. South Korea views the speed of testing and tracing as important to prevent and suppress outbreaks. Its health officials have stated that testing needs to work not only for identification but also for isolation. To do this, it must be fast. According to Dr. Tomás Ryan, the science shows that if this is too slow, it will defeat the purpose of lockdown altogether. In his opening statement, Professor Mallon made the point that, as society reopens, the public is handing back some of the responsibility for controlling the virus to the State and that, if the programme of testing fails to work effectively, we risk losing the gains achieved. Will he outline what he sees as the necessary underpinnings of any successful testing and tracing plan as we exit lockdown?

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