Walk-in Covid-19 testing centres are set to open this week in areas of the country with a high incidence rate of the disease.
The new measure forms part of a renewed focus on testing and tracing.
It will be the first time that people can receive a Covid-19 test without an appointment.
The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, said the Government is now moving to target the virus “where we know it is”.
“One of the things we are doing is we are targeting the virus where we know it is,” he said.
“So for example this week we will be introducing walk-in PCR testing without a referral in some parts of the country where we have seen a very high incidence.
“One of the other things we are doing is we are also further increasing the bio-security measures at the Border to protect against variants, and obviously that is what hotel quarantine is all about.”
It comes after the booking portal for the State’s mandatory quarantine system became live on Tuesday, with Minister Donnelly outlining what will happen when a passenger arrives from one of countries subject to the measure.
