On-campus Covid tests offered to UL students to curb spike in cases

A testing centre will be established on the UL campus this week, and students will be invited to register.

On-campus Covid-19 testing is to be offered to students at the University of Limerick due to a rise in cases, believed to be associated with students living in off-campus accommodation.

The university is to facilitate on-campus testing by HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare for all students, who do not need to have symptoms of the virus, in a bid to prevent further transmission among the student population.

In recent weeks, the Department of Public Health Mid-West has seen evidence of an increase of cases among students living in the immediate vicinity of the campus, in the Castletroy area of Limerick city.

This increase is largely based around “simple household visits”, the department said in a statement. 

The Department of Public Health is “aggressively investigating” and managing clusters like this one as it is crucial community transmission is suppressed. 

A testing centre will be established on the UL campus this week, and students will be invited to register.

“As a result of constant engagement and close ties between UL and Public Health Mid-West, we are in a position to act very swiftly now at the first signs of a possible increase of cases among students living off-campus,” said Professor Kerstin Mey, UL president. 

Overall, UL has seen a high level of compliance on campus with the Covid-19 precautions it has put in place.

Overall, UL has seen a high level of compliance on campus with the Covid-19 precautions it has put in place. Picture: True Media

Dr Marie Casey, specialist in Public Health Medicine, said Public Health Mid-West was seeing a "notable" increase in Covid-19 clusters among the student population, particularly in housing estates in the Castletroy area with links to some households in Limerick city. 

“The student population is unique insofar that they can often live with a number of housemates in large households. 

"Some students have part-time jobs, and many will go home on the weekends to visit family and friends. 

With the onset of the dominant UK Covid-19 variant, which is more transmissible than the original strain, there is now a high level of risk of transmission in the student community.” 

”We are urging everyone in the region to avoid household visits and social gatherings of any kind, as we have seen far too many times how a single episode of social contact has led to serious illness and death,” she added.