Walk-in Covid-19 testing to begin at Cork centre

Walk-in Covid-19 testing for people without any symptoms of the virus is to begin at Randal Óg GAA Club in Dunmanway.

As part of the HSE’s enhanced Covid-19 testing for local communities, it has announced that the centre will facilitate Covid-19 tests without requiring an advance appointment for those who are symptom-free from Wednesday.

The centre will operate from 14th – 20th April, 9am to 5pm (closed Sunday 18th April). 

The walk-in testing will operate alongside the existing testing in the centres whereby GPs refer those with symptoms, and close contacts of a confirmed case of Covid-19, for their Covid-19 test.

The centre is one of two facilities to begin offering walk-in testing this week. The second centre is in Mullingar.

No appointment necessary 

Niamh O Beirne, HSE National Lead for Test and Trace said, “We have the capacity to carry out 25,000 PCR tests a day nationally. In addition to our static testing sites which are located across the country, over the last two weeks, with the support of the National Ambulance Service and Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) teams, we have opened up walk-in sites in various locations. These no appointment necessary testing centres offer those with no symptoms of Covid-19 an opportunity to be tested. These centres have allowed us to raise awareness and make the Covid-19 test more easily available to people. By the end of last week we had identified over 600 positive Covid-19 cases through these centres and identified new outbreaks. This has enabled those positive cases take the necessary actions to protect those around them.

“We continue to develop our testing services, and from Wednesday this week we are adding a walk-in, no-appointment required service to two of our existing static testing centres. This will mean that at the Mullingar and Dunmanway testing centres people without Covid-19 symptoms in those communities can attend and be tested. The testing service for those with symptoms and those who are close contacts of confirmed cases of Covid-19, which are arranged via GPs will also continue to operate as usual at both of these sites.” 

Containing cases in region 

Priscilla Lynch, Head of Health and Wellbeing with Cork Kerry Community Healthcare said, “This is a welcomed addition to Covid-19 services in the region. Staff at the Ballincarriga test centre in Dunmanway will provide a warm welcome and an efficient, safe testing service to everyone who comes forward for a test. The people of the region have done a fantastic job in recent weeks and months in sticking to the measures which prevent the spread of Covid-19. Taking up this opportunity for testing even when you don’t have symptoms will help us to go a step further again in containing any cases.” 

People can use this free, walk-in Covid-19 testing service if they

• are aged 16 years and over 
• do not have symptoms of Covid-19 but would like to be tested 
• have not tested positive for Covid-19 in the last six months

People must bring photo identification and provide a mobile telephone number to be contacted with results.