“There is no need to be nervous” - walk-in Covid-19 test centre opens in Athlone

A temporary Covid-19 testing centre has been set up this morning at the car park of Athlone Regional Sports Centre.

The centre will be operational from 11am to 7pm daily for the next five days, and those without symptoms of Covid-19 who live within 5km of the centre are being asked to come forward for testing.

Speaking before the centre began operating at 11am, Dr Niamh Clarke, General Manager for Primary Care with Responsibility for Covid-19 testing in CHO Area 8, explained how the testing procedure works.

“The Defence Forces and Community First Responders are here to help the successful running of this site, and without them we wouldn’t be able to manage the traffic,” she said.

“People remain in their cars until they are called out in groups of ten. Those ten people are then brought over to the tent and socially distanced.

“This site is for only for those aged 16 and older, you must wear a mask at all times, and you must have a photo ID, or an identification of some sort.

“All your details are taken in the first tent. You’re logged on to the system, and once that happens you get a text to say that you’re here presenting for a Covid-19 test and the results of the test get sent to that number.”

A label with the individual’s details will be printed, which will be placed on a pack at the next tent, before the person moves on to receive the physical test by a swabber.

Testing is currently only available to those living within 5km of Athlone Regional Sports Centre, although this may change depending on the numbers presenting at the centre.

WATCH VIDEO WALK THROUGH OF THE NEW TEST CENTRE

“We can manage 400-600 tests a day,” Dr Clarke continued. “Based on the numbers presenting themselves to the centre, if we think we have the capacity to extend the 5km radius we will do that. That’s why after three days the radius for eligibility was extended to 15km in Tullamore.”

The Athlone test centre is the third of its kind to be established in the local Community Healthcare Organisation, following on from a similar centre in Tullamore and another centre in Navan which opened yesterday.

“The Tullamore centre was the first one outside of Dublin. It was identified as one of five sites, and the second round of those centres started yesterday in Balbriggan, Finglas and Navan. So this is the third site in CHO8,” Dr Clarke said.

“The National Primary Care Office in Dublin selects where these pop-ups will be set up. Where there is a high incidence rate a pop-up test centre will be sent in to try and track down the virus and get as many people in and tested as possible.

“For some people, going to your GP or travelling to Mullingar from Athlone might be a deterrent, so putting a test centre in a town with a high incidence rate can help find cases.”

The current 14-Day Covid-19 incidence rate for the Westmeath electoral area of Athlone is 246.8 per 100,000 of the population, above the national average of 164.1 per 100,000.

More than 1,500 people were tested in Tullamore and a spokesperson for the HSE told the Westmeath Independent that the positivity rate among those tested had been approximately 2%.

Dr Clarke also urged people to make contact with their GPs if they have Covid-19 symptoms.

“This is an asymptomatic testing site, so if you have symptoms of Covid-19 you should still go through the testing process by speaking with your GP who will refer you on to a drive-through test.

“If you have symptoms, your GP needs to be aware of your symptoms and of how sick you are. They are there to monitor and mind you, whereas we are testing people with no symptoms and who are presenting as a ‘well.’”

She also sought to reassure those who were nervous about coming forward for a test.

“It’s not a painful procedure, and it’s a very quick. It’s literally a minute or two, and it’s only a little uncomfortable. We have a very experienced national ambulance swabbing team, so people can be reassured that we will take good care of everybody that comes and there is no need to be nervous.”

This centre is a set up as a collaboration between the National Ambulance Service, the HSE and Civil Defence.

“Everybody is involved in this which is an interesting deviation for the HSE.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the county council providing this area, and we have to give a big thanks to Athlone Regional Sports Centre for allowing us to set up here because this is really here to meet the needs of people who live in this area,” Dr Clarke finished.