New Covid-19 assessment centre in Dublin for marginalised groups

Ronnie Fay, co-director of Pavee Point, says Travellers in Dublin have been very badly affected by the virus.

The Minister for Health will open a new Covid-19 assessment centre this morning, aimed at marginalised groups in Dublin's inner city.

The hub at the Mater Hospital will include a mobile unit to test and treat vulnerable communities, with results available in under an hour, according to the Irish Times.

58% of Roma people who have been tested have had positive results for Covid-19, while 43% cent of Travellers checked, had the virus.

Ronnie Fay, co-director of Pavee Point, says Travellers in Dublin have been very badly affected by the virus.

She says: "In our region, there have been 360 suspected cases among Travellers in the last week and 44 have been confirmed which is like 12% of Travellers have tested positive."

Ms Fay said that Pavee Point welcomes the centre but has raised concerns about Travellers in other regional centres in the country highlighting Cork, Galway and Roscommon.

She says: "That centre obviously will cater for people in the inner city of Dublin and we have to have a consistent national approach."