The HSE has opened a new website for people to list their close contacts online.
In the event of someone testing positive for Covid-19, the HSE will send them a text with a link to the website to share details of close contacts. The HSE will then send a text to those contacts.
The portal went live today and has already been used for contact tracing.
The HSE said it will enable faster tracing.
The Department of Health yesterday reported another 1,508 cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health said: “COVID-19 is circulating to a significant degree in the community, but the public’s ongoing adherence to public health advice, the high levels of vaccine uptake, and the ongoing community engagement with testing centres around the country is encouraging. We continue to see good levels of cooperation with contact tracing and we must maintain this in order to break chains of transmission and keep our families and communities safe.
“Until you receive a result and if you receive a positive result from a PCR test, it is essential that you isolate and cooperate with contact tracing teams so that your close contacts can be informed. If you are a close contact of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19, please come forward for a PCR test immediately if you have any symptoms or are not yet fully vaccinated to help stop the spread of this disease.
“If you are experiencing fever, cough, cold/flu symptoms, or loss of sense of smell or taste, please isolate straight away and seek a PCR test as soon as possible, either by contacting your GP or by booking a test online for one of the HSE’s COVID-19 test centres. This is also important for those who are fully vaccinated as you can still transmit COVID-19.”