PEOPLE LIVING NEAR three specific centres in Dublin and Donegal can now book a Covid-19 test online.

The HSE is piloting an online booking system for tests from today.

Tests can be booked online at St Conal’s Hospital Campus in Letterkenny, the National Show Centre in Cloghran, and the Citywest Hotel in Dublin 24.

Walk-in appointments are still available at the three centres, but the HSE advises that the wait may be lower for those who have booked in advance.

There are around 130 appointment times open at Citywest, 290 at the National Show Centre and 220 in Letterkenny this afternoon and tomorrow as of 3.15pm.

After choosing a test centre and time slot, users are asked to enter their mobile number to receive a 6-digit code to book a test.

Appointments can be made for tests within the next 24 hours at the time of booking.

36 walk-in test centres are currently open around the country and do not require an appointment or GP referral – booking an appointment online for one the three centres in the pilot system is optional.

“Do not arrive at a test center before the opening time. Test centres can be very busy and you may have to wait,” the HSE advises.

“If you arrive near closing time and there is a queue, you may not get a test that day,” it says.

“There are large queues at both test centres in Limerick today.”

As a result of the ransomware attack on the HSE, GPs are currently unable to refer patients with symptoms for a Covid-19 test.

Instead, the walk-in centres – which were designed to test individuals with no symptoms of Covid-19 – are testing people with symptoms.

The walk-in centres can be used by people over the age of 16, who live in the same area as the centre, and who have not tested positive for Covid-19 in the last six months.

Children who are a close contact in a school setting are asked not to come to the walk-in centres and instead wait for the close contact tracing team to the test.

Yesterday, public health officials confirmeda further 378 Covid-19 cases in Ireland, while 374 were reported on Sunday.