Nearly 1,000 in Mid-West fail to attend Covid-19 tests

Public-Health Mid West has also appealed for people to avoid any large social gatherings of any kind for New Year’s celebrations. 

A dummy Covid-19 swab. File picture

960 people in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary failed to appear for their scheduled Covid-19 test appointment over the Christmas period, according to new figures. 

The Department of Public Health Mid-West, which compiled the figures, is now urging people in the region to attend pre-booked tests. 

715 people missed their appointments in Limerick test centres between December 24 and December 28 - 576 in the main testing centre in the county and 139 more at a pop-up facility near St John's Hospital. 

Over the same period, a further 138 people did now show up for tests in North Tipperary. 107 more missed tests in Clare.

The Department of Public Health Mid-West believes that test no-shows, together with recent large Christmas party gatherings reported on in recent days, have contributed to local outbreaks and the overall the spread of the virus there.

"We are urging members of the public who have arranged a Covid-19 swab to attend the test centre and at the allotted time, as we continue to see many people missing their appointments," the group said in a statement. 

The group also says that some people have not been answering phone calls from Covid-19 contact tracers.

Public Health Mid-West says it has seen an "increased level of social gatherings from multiple households" which had "intensified in the lead-up to the Christmas break."

Director of Public Health Mid-West, Dr Mai Mannix, says that gatherings seen in recent days have “added an extra layer to what is already a complex situation".

People in the region have been asked to avoid any large social gatherings of any kind for New Year’s celebrations. 

“We do not want a situation whereby new household cases bring undetected Covid-19 to new settings in the community over the coming days," Dr Mannix said.

"This would make complex outbreaks increasingly more difficult to manage," she added.