Walk-in Covid test centre will operate up to Sunday

The HSE has announced that the free walk-in and drive-through Covid-19 testing centre at the former Castlebrand Factory, Tyone, Nenagh (Eircode: E45 TY04) will operate until Sunday next, May 16th.

The free service is located at a central and accessible location in the town, and will operate from 8.30am to 6pm daily, until Sunday. This is an operation led by HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare and supported by Public Health Mid-West.

Public Health Mid-West continues to monitor a major community outbreak, in excess of 200 cases, in Nenagh since April 1st. We continue to manage new workplace situations, household clusters, transmission in the community, and transmission among family and extended family members.

Due to the varied nature of this community outbreak, we have detected significant onward transmission between different types of settings.

The walk-in clinic is open to members of the public who live within 20km of the test centre. The service is for those who do not have Covid-19 symptoms and for people who are concerned that they may have been at risk of infection in the past two weeks. Children can get tested if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. You must bring a photo ID with you and provide us with a mobile phone number so we can contact you with your results.

We urge members of the public who have symptoms to consult their GP to arrange a test, and to not avail of the walk-in facility. Anyone who has already scheduled a Covid-19 test is asked not to attend.

Dr Marie Casey, Specialist in Public Health Medicine, said: “High-risk social activity played a significant part in a series of outbreaks in Nenagh over the past month, causing considerable disruption to people’s lives. But thanks to this free walk-in clinic, scheduled testing, and routine screening over the past two weeks, we have been able to identify the patterns of this disease in Nenagh and its environs.

“This would not have been possible if it weren’t for Nenagh’s tremendous determination to stamp out COVID-19 in the community. The next week is a great opportunity to establish the extent of this outbreak, as we continue the process of active case finding in the region."

You can use this free, walk-in Covid-19 testing service if you:

· are aged 16 years and over

· are a child and are accompanied by a parent or guardian

· do not have symptoms of COVID-19 but would like to be tested

· live within 20km of the walk-in testing centre

· have not tested positive for COVID-19 in the last six months.