Stephen Donnelly said the portal will go live on Friday.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has admitted the new HSE online portal for registering positive antigen tests is open to “a bit of play-acting”.
However, he stated that the Government was relying on people to do “the right thing” when the portal opens on Friday (14 January).
The comments come after Cabinet agreed to a number of new Covid-19 rules on Wednesday, including one stating there will no longer be a requirement for people aged between four and 39 to confirm an antigen test result with a PCR test.
Instead, from Friday, a new portal for people to upload their positive antigen tests, as well as their close contact information, will be made available through the HSE’s website.
[THREAD] From Friday the rules around isolation and close contacts will change. This is to ease the burden on people.
If you are symptomatic, here is what you should do. pic.twitter.com/gmHi7Ylgk6
— Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) January 12, 2022
The Minister said while speaking outside the RDS vaccination centre on Thursday that the HSE portal will go live on Friday and that it will be phased in throughout the day.
“What it means is as of tomorrow, people will be able to directly upload their own positive antigen tests. They’ll be able to upload their close contacts,” he said.
“Their close contacts then get contacted in the same way that happens at the moment for the PCR system.”
The Minister was asked about the portal’s measures to ensure the legitimacy of the positive antigen tests people will be uploading.
“I think like most things in this pandemic, we are relying on people doing the right thing,” Donnelly said in response.
“I think over the last two years what we’ve seen time and time again, in terms of people following the public health advice…. people have continually done the right thing.
“Is it open to, you know, a bit of play-acting? It is.”
However, Donnelly said following discussions with the HSE that he is confident that it will be used responsibly.
For more information about the new Covid-19 rules coming into effect on Friday, see JOE’s guide here.
Main image via Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
