Covid walk-in test programme extended as two new centres open

The Health Service Executive’s walk-in test centre programme for Covid-19 is being extended, with two new locations opening this week and the operation of existing centres being prolonged.

More than 42,900 people have been tested in the centres since they began last month, with 1,416 positive results – a positivity rate of 3.4 per cent.

A new centre opened in Celbridge, Co Kildare, on Monday and a second centres opens in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on Wednesday.

The centres are walk-in with no appointment needed for asymptomatic people. Those with symptoms or who are close contacts of a case, are referred by GPs for testing.

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Three centres in Dublin, which have been operating for more than a week, have had their opening period extended, to later this week.

According to the HSE, the centres support enhanced testing for local communities and allow further identification and understanding of any variants of concern.

“We are seeing increasing numbers of people present to the centres,” said Niamh O’Beirne, HSE national lead for testing and tracing. “We continue to work closely with the public health teams across the country,the National Ambulance Service and community health teams to ensure that we establish these testing centres as quickly as possible, once the need for them has been identified.”

The Dublin centres are located at St Catherine's community sports centre in the Liberties; Parnells GAA club in Coolock; and Cumann Naomh Peregrine in Mulhuddart.

The centres are open to local residents aged 16 and over, who have not tested positive for Covid-19 in the previous six months.

List of centres:

Dublin
– The Liberties: St Catherine's Community Sports Centre, Marrowbone Lane (Eircode: D08 W5WC), Monday 26th to Thursday 29th April, 11am-7pm

– Coolock: Parnells GAA Club (Eircode:D05 H2W0), Monday 26th to Friday 30th April, 9.30am to 4.30pm (revised opening hours)

– Mulhuddart: Cumann Naomh Peregrine (Eircode:D15 H2W0 ), Monday 26th to Friday 30th April, 9.30am to 4.30pm(revised opening hours)

Kildare: Castletown House, Celbridge (Eircode: W23 V9H3), Monday 26th to Friday 30th April, 11am to 7pm

Offaly: Clonminch,Tullamore, beginning Wednesday April 28th from 9.30am to 4.30pm, for one week, initially