Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 June 2020
489. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health if care workers visiting the homes of sick, elderly or disabled persons will be tested fortnightly for Covid-19 in line with the testing of care workers in nursing homes every two weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13206/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraA robust and real-time process of testing, isolation and contact tracing is central to our public health strategy for containing and slowing the spread of COVID-19, as advocated by the WHO and the ECDC.
All healthcare workers meeting the current case definition for COVID-19 are referred for testing in line with current testing criteria. There is extensive guidance in place for healthcare workers and this can be found on the HPSC website: https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/guidanceforhealthcareworkers/. There is also clear guidance in place for the assessment, testing and return to work of healthcare workers. https://www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/algorithms/Algorithm%20for%20Testing%20and%20Return%20to%20Work%20of%20Symptomatic%20HCWs.pdf
The HSE has advised that where healthcare workers, including home support workers, require a test, they are prioritised and there is no delay in scheduling a test appointment. Where a person in receipt of home support requires a test, this is also the case.
In addition, current guidance requires the testing of all staff and residents when a new case emerges in a long term residential care facility (including mental health facilities) that have not yet had a case.
It is important to note that testing is only one element of a comprehensive strategic response to COVID-19. Testing for COVID-19 only provides a point-in-time result. It confers no guarantee that the individual with a 'not detected' result is not incubating the infection or the level of virus is below detectable levels at the time of the test.
Targeted, risk-based testing can yield important data to inform control measures, but does not constitute a control measure in and of itself. Testing should only be undertaken based on a public health risk assessment. A comprehensive response to the COVID-19 pandemic must include a strong focus on infection prevention and control and additional measures such as prompt identification and exclusion from work of symptomatic healthcare workers for example.
