300 thousand PCR tests are now being carried out here every week.
That's in excess of 5 percent of the population, and is three times more than were being carried out this time last year.
Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan says if you're a close contact of a positive case but continue to get negative antigen tests for more than 48 hours you don't need a PCR test.
PCR tests won't now be ordered for people over three or under forty until an antigen test kit turns positive for Covid-19.
The major change to testing arrangements follows a new all-time daily record infection rate of 20,554 was confirmed last night.
Healthcare workers and the medically vulnerable will still be sent for PCR testing thought.
The self-isolation period has also been cut from ten days to seven for those with a booster vaccine or a recent breakthrough infection.
