Tuarascáil Eatramhach maidir le Tástáil agus Rianú An Coiste Speisialta um Fhreagra ar Covid-19 Lúnasa 2020 Interim Report on Testing and Tracing Special Committee on Covid-19 Response August 2020 SCCR003 Interim Report on Testing and Tracing – August 2020 1 Tithe an Oireachtais An Coiste Speisialta um Fhreagra ar Covid-19 Tuarascáil Eatramhach maidir le Tástáil agus Rianú Lúnasa 2020 Houses of the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response Interim Report on Testing and Tracing August 2020 33 SCCR 003 Interim Report on Testing and Tracing – August 2020 Tracing and Testing Interim Report on Tuarascáil Eatramhach maidir le Tástáil agus Rianú – Lúnasa 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD Contents I welcome the publication today of the Special Committee’s TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... 2 Inteim epot on esting and acing CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD .......................................................................................................................3 s the report outlines a obust system of testing and contact SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................... 6 tacing is the cental to allowin the phased eopening of Section 1: The importance of testing and tracing ............................................................................... 6 commecial and social activity, the maoity of which wee closed 2 Section 2: Detailed test and trace planning ........................................................................................ 6 duing the shut-down in ach. Section 3: Capacity and turnaround times ......................................................................................... 7 Its effectiveness will depend in pat on the implementation of Section 4: Travel testing and tracing................................................................................................... 8 othe contols in paticula hand washing and maintaining an adeuate distance fom othes in social settings Section 5: Healthcare staff .................................................................................................................. 9 Section 6: The app ............................................................................................................................... 9 Michae McNmara .D. 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 11 he Committee undestands that the system that was put in place 2. Evidence From Committee Meetings And Submissions ................................................................... 12 in ach was done in a huy and a lot of contingency measues had to be taen ien the is of a pandemic sweeping the State Because of the effots of all ou people those measues were not TABLE 1 – WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS ............................................................................................ 12 needed howee what became clea to the Committee is that anothe locdown would be TABLE 2 – MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS .............................................................................. 13 unsustainable estin and contact tacing will allow the State to live with and teat outbeas of 3. The importance of testing and tracing .............................................................................................. 15 Coid-19 as they aise 4. Detailed test and trace planning ....................................................................................................... 17 numbe of new testing and tacing measues will be put in place later this month and will hae to 5. Capacity and turnaround times ........................................................................................................ 20 be ept unde eview 5.1 Turnaround time ..................................................................................................................... 20 inally we will need a system that has capacity to deal with a sudden suge in demand which will 5.2 Supply of tests ......................................................................................................................... 21 happen if we et a flu epidemic in the utumn iven the ovelap on symptoms between the flu and 5.3 Cost ......................................................................................................................................... 22 Covid-19 and ou already ove-cowded hospitals and Depatments hese issues ae also highlighted in the repot 6. Travel testing and tracing: ................................................................................................................ 24 7. Healthcare staff: ................................................................................................................................ 26 I want to than the staeholdes who enaed with the Committee Membes of the Committee and the Secretaiat for their wo on this issue 8. The app: ............................................................................................................................................ 28 Appendix 1: Terms of Reference ........................................................................................................... 31 Appendix 2: Committee Membership ................................................................................................... 33 I commend the repot to the Dil. Tuarascáil Eatramhach maidir le Tástáil agus Rianú – Lúnasa 2020 maidir le Eatramhach Tuarascáil Chairman 5th ugust 020 Interim Report on Testing and Tracing – August 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD Contents I welcome the publication today of the Special Committee’s TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................... 2 Inteim epot on esting and acing CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD .......................................................................................................................3 s the report outlines a obust system of testing and contact SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................................... 6 tacing is the cental to allowin the phased eopening of Section 1: The importance of testing and tracing ............................................................................... 6 commecial and social activity, the maoity of which wee closed Section 2: Detailed test and trace planning ........................................................................................ 6 duing the shut-down in ach. 3 Section 3: Capacity and turnaround times ......................................................................................... 7 Its effectiveness will depend in pat on the implementation of Section 4: Travel testing and tracing................................................................................................... 8 othe contols in paticula hand washing and maintaining an adeuate distance fom othes in social settings Section 5: Healthcare staff .................................................................................................................. 9 Section 6: The app ............................................................................................................................... 9 Michae McNmara .D. 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 11 he Committee undestands that the system that was put in place 2. Evidence From Committee Meetings And Submissions ................................................................... 12 in ach was done in a huy and a lot of contingency measues had to be taen ien the is of a pandemic sweeping the State Because of the effots of all ou people those measues were not TABLE 1 – WRITTEN SUBMISSIONS ............................................................................................ 12 needed howee what became clea to the Committee is that anothe locdown would be TABLE 2 – MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS .............................................................................. 13 unsustainable estin and contact tacing will allow the State to live with and teat outbeas of 3. The importance of testing and tracing .............................................................................................. 15 Coid-19 as they aise 4. Detailed test and trace planning ....................................................................................................... 17 numbe of new testing and tacing measues will be put in place later this month and will hae to 5. Capacity and turnaround times ........................................................................................................ 20 be ept unde eview 5.1 Turnaround time ..................................................................................................................... 20 inally we will need a system that has capacity to deal with a sudden suge in demand which will 5.2 Supply of tests ......................................................................................................................... 21 happen if we et a flu epidemic in the utumn iven the ovelap on symptoms between the flu and 5.3 Cost ........................................................................................................................................