People aged under 55 and who have symptoms of Covid-19 do not need to seek a PCR or an antigen test, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar has said.
Mr Varadkar said this applies to people aged under 55 that do not have an underlying condition and said they should isolate “for a few days.”
It comes as the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan has been asked to review whether people who are Covid positive need to isolate for seven days or if the isolation period can be shortened.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, the Fine Gael leader said: “The advice which we are going to emphasise more and more is that for people who are under 55 and medically well, you don’t need to get a test actually.
"What you need to do if you have symptoms is to isolate, and once your symptoms are gone in a few days, you’re free to return to normal life.”
People who become asymptomatic for 48 hours don’t need to isolate for seven days if they haven’t had a test that confirmed they have Covid-19, according to sources.
According to the HSE website, you do not need a test if you are under 55 years of age with symptoms of Covid and you are otherwise healthy.
It also states you do not need a test if you are age 55 or older and you are fully boosted, even if you have symptoms of Covid-19.
The Tanaiste said that people who are aged over 55 years or have an underlying condition, who have symptoms should still get a test.
He said: “But for people over 55 or people with a medical condition, you should get a test and if you test positive, at least for now, it’s seven days isolation and three days [of taking] precautions.”
When asked about Dr Holohan reviewing the seven day isolation period, he said: “I don’t anticipate a significant change quite frankly because this is down to the science and the incubation period of the virus is what it is, the infectious period is what it is.”
READ MORE: Irish doctor warns people to stay home with any illness even if they receive negative antigen test
READ MORE: Covid antigen test mistakes - why you're not getting the right results
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter .
