Patients are waiting for between four and five days for a coronavirus test.

In a media briefing today, the Health Service Executive said at least 40,000 people in Ireland are currently waiting to be tested and new measures are being rolled out to speed up the process.

Up to 50 new testing sites, due to be in operation next week, are the first step in clearing the backlog and the HSE is confident that another 100,000 testing kits will be secured from a supplier in China every week.

As of Saturday night, there were 102 new cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the total number of diagnosed patients to 785.

Healthcare professionals will begin testing up to 1,000 people per day at Cork’s Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the coming week after the GAA announced the stadium had been offered to the HSE for use during the coronavirus crisis.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive of the HSE Paul Reid warned that the Irish health system is about to be under pressure “like we’ve never known before”‘ in the coming months.

The HSE has also issued new advice for people who take immunosuppressive medicines like steroids, methotrexate and biologics for rheumatology, gastroenterology and dermatology conditions.

You can find that advice in full here.