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As of yesterday, people aged 4-39 with Covid symptoms now being asked to self-isolate immediately and take regular antigen tests instead of immediately booking a PCR test.
People in this group are being told to only book a PCR test after they have had a positive antigen result.
People are required to self-isolate when they have symptoms and to do the first antigen test as soon as possible, a second test 24 hours later and a third test 24 hours after that.
If the three antigen tests are negative people are asked to continue to self-isolate until they have not had symptoms for 48 hours.
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Tests are now being provided free-of-charge to people aged 4-39 with Covid symptoms, with a HSE portal now live for these people to order their tests which are sent out by post.
The HSE has said that ordering antigen test kits online is only available from 8am to 8pm to allow for “coordination with the logistics and distribution”.
At present, there is no system for people who have a positive antigen test result to report it online or to list their close contacts but this is believed to be under consideration.
Instead, those who have a positive antigen tests result are advised to self-isolate and seek a PCR test.
The HSE has said it capacity to send out 350,000 antigen tests per week.
The advice for close contacts varies depending on a number factors, such as an individual’s vaccination status and the nature of their contact with the confirmed case.
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Each circumstance provides advice for the testing someone must undertake and to what extent they must restrict their movements.
The advice for restricting movements has changed slightly as of yesterday, however.
Previously the period of self-isolation began when someone received a text from the HSE informing them they are a close contact, the advice now states that the period of self-isolation begins “from when you were last in contact with the person who tested positive”.
“If you do not know when this was, do this from when you get the close contact text message from the HSE,” the advice states.
Further changes to advice around self-isolation for close contacts understood to be considered amid the huge numbers of people involved.
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Jack. Do you know for sure that the firearms used by gang members were legally owned or are you just jumping to conclusions?
Most of these guys are heavily involved in criminal activity and would have had criminal records. And as such as far as I am aware most if not all States in through US ban former felons from legally owning a firearm. And as we have seen from our own criminals it is very easy for the criminal fraternity to get hold of illegal weapons.
The US Commerce Secretary says Ireland runs a 'tax scam'. Does he have a point?
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