Rapid walk-in testing to be rolled out in Covid blackspots

An emergency department nurse during a demonstration of the coronavirus pod and Covid-19 virus-testing procedures set-up beside the emergency department of Antrim Area Hospital, Co Antrim.

Rapid walk-in testing without the need for a GP referral will be put in place this week in Covid-19 blackspots, it has been confirmed.

The rollout of the 15-minute antigen and PCR tests will be part of what Taoiseach Micheál Martin called a “strategic approach” to targeting clusters and localised outbreaks.

Public health doctors have blamed outbreaks for high case numbers in parts of the country in recent days. There are outbreaks linked to students in Limerick, the Travelling community in a number of locations around the country, schools and meat plants.

“Rapid testing may come into play as a strategic approach in areas of high incidence in localised areas,” said Mr Martin.

“That’s something that the minister for health is working on with Nphet in terms of adding a more localised response to areas of high outbreak in terms of the application of antigen testing.”

Mr Martin said that while regional lockdowns, as seen last year, are not being examined by the  Government, there is capacity for “localisation”.

“Within our overall plan, the facility for localisation is there but we’ve made no decision in relation to that,” he said.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, as well as confirming the rollout of the testing, said the public will see what he called “very visible enforcement” by An Garda Siochána.

“Essentially, the public health strategy is to target the virus, suppress the virus, use walk-in PCR testing, deploy antigen testing. We need to continue to see that very strong, very visible enforcement from An Garda Síochána,” he said.
"[We want to] engage with the third-level sector, engage with employers, and really work with people to drive down the interactions that are leading to this increase in cases.

“If we do that we buy ourselves more time, because really that’s what we’re trying to do. The light at the end of the tunnel is the vaccines."

The news comes amid fresh concerns about a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases among children. Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said he is “very concerned” by how virulent the B117 strain of the virus is.

In his latest letter to Mr Donnelly, Dr Ronan Glynn, as the acting head of Nphet, said the situation relating to Covid-19 remains “particularly fragile."

According to the HSE, there were 1,140 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in under-18s last week, up from 888 the week before.

In his latest letter to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Dr Ronan Glynn, as the acting head of Nphet, said the situation relating to Covid-19 remains “particularly fragile."

A rise in cases detected in schools was described as “worrying” but not surprising by ASTI vice-president Ann Piggott.

There were 85 cases in primary schools, 15 in secondary schools and 10 in special schools. This compares with 34, seven and less than five, previously.

All primary-school children were back by March 15 while fifth years returned to secondary school following Leaving Certificate students.

Meanwhile, as of last night, there have been 26 bookings under the new mandatory hotel quarantine system. Six of the bookings are for check-in this month, 15 are for April and five are for May.

The cost for an incoming passenger coming from one of 33 designated states is €1,875 for 12 nights.

The Department of Health last night confirmed a further 24 Covid-19 deaths, bringing the total number to 4,610. The median age of those who died was 82 years and the age range was 49 to 100.

There were another 371 confirmed cases, bringing the total number of infections to 231,484.