Tomás Ryan: Defeating the virus is a race against time

Testing and tracing are our best tools against the spread of Covid-19, but we urgently need to accelerate and streamline the process

HSE staff testing for Covid-19 in Newsbridge, Co Kildare. It’s puzzling why the country’s full coronavirus testing capacity is not being utilised, says Tomás Ryan Picture: RollingNews

Starting from here, whether we are to regain our hard-won suppression of the coronavirus, or attain full elimination, we must now tread the initial path out of mitigation.

Everyone agrees that testing and tracing are central tools for the management of Covid-19 in the population. Local lockdowns, though understandably unpopular for those experiencing them, have been a success. The government has shown that it can enact clear and decisive regionalised measures that quickly and effectively ...