On-campus Covid tests for students travelling home for Christmas

UL students living in the immediate vicinity of the campus will be invited to register for a Covid-19 test without needing to display any symptoms of the virus. Picture: iStock

Covid-19 testing is to take place on the University of Limerick (UL) campus for students before they travel home for Christmas.

Due to community and household transmission, there have been a number of positive Covid cases linked to students attending UL, which has a population of 16,500 students.

As previously reported by the Irish Examiner, outbreaks among students, in residential care settings, in private homes, and among extended families contributed to a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in Limerick last month.

Cases have since levelled off.

UL students living in the immediate vicinity of the campus will be invited to register for a Covid-19 test without needing to display any symptoms of the virus.

Dr Mai Mannix, director of the Department of Public Health Mid-West encouraged UL students to get tested on campus before they head home.

It’s free and is a short process that will help protect those you live with, your loved ones at home, your student community, and others in your community who will want to enjoy a safe and Covid-free Christmas.”

Professor Kerstin Mey, UL president, said the testing was aiming to minimise virus transmission by helping to identify asymptomatic carriers of Covid-19.

“Anywhere we can introduce further safety protocols for our students both on and off-campus we will take those opportunities and we are very happy now to be in a position to facilitate Covid-19 testing to our student community.” 

Students have been contacted this Friday with full details on how to register online for an on-campus test. All tests will be processed by the HSE.