LAST UPDATE | 9 Apr 2021

THE HSE IS to open five new walk-in Covid-19 test centres tomorrow, three in Dublin and one each in Limerick and Waterford. 

The walk-in centres test asymptomatic people who wish to get tested as part of efforts to identify the wider spread of Covid-19 in the community.

The first centres opened a number of weeks ago and are in place for a temporary period. One centre on Cappagh Road in Finglas in Dublin opened last week and remains open until Sunday.

Three new walk-in centres in Dublin will be up and running from tomorrow at St Peregrines GAA club on Blakestown Rd, Dublin 15; at Ballyfermot Sports Complex on Gurteen Rd in Dublin 10 and Crumlin GAA club house, Lorcan O’Toole Park Crescent, Crumlin, D12. 

In Limerick, a new walk-in test centre will be open at St Joseph’s Health Campus on Mulgrave Street while in Waterford, WIT College Street campus on Cork Road will host a new test centre.

People with symptoms of Covid-19 are still encouraged to arrange a test through a GP but the walk-in centres are for people who do not have symptoms. 

People can avail of a test at the walk-in centres if they are aged 16 years and over, live within 5km of the centre and have not tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 6 months. 

People are required to bring photo ID and provide a mobile phone number.

About 25,000 people have availed of a Covid-19 test at the walk-in centres since they began last month, with the centres recording an overall positivity rate of about 2.6%. 

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, the HSE’s National lead for Covid-19 Testing and Tracing Niamh O’Beirne said the walk-in centres have revealed a number of interesting observations.  

“It ranges by site, so some of the sites were under 2% and then some of the sites were closer to 5%. With the highest positivity coming in a younger age group, the ages between 15 and 24. So so far we’ve had about 635 positive cases from the sites,” she said. 

We were looking particularly at the 20-40 age group and interested to see them coming forward for testing and what the levels of positivity would be.

“What we found was that about 45% of the referrals come from that age group and it also has the the highest level of positivity is in those groups. Over and above a much lower positivity of around 1% of those who are over 65.”