The government was "caught off guard" by the fast spread of Covid-19, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has said. The Minister said the "entire system, including the political system" did not respond quick enough to the pressure the country's testing and tracing system is under. "I think system was caught off guard with the speed of it," he told RTÉ's Sarah McInerney Show. We've seen the virus spread, essentially, from workplaces to households, and now households and into the community. Last night, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said contact tracing and testing efforts are being increased.

Source: Irish Independent August 19, 2020 12:00 UTC