Athlone pop-up Covid Test Centre to open "for remainder of this week" only

The HSE have confirmed that the Covid-19 pop-up testing centre which opened its doors to the public at 10am this morning (Monday) at Athlone GAA Club will remain open "for the remainder of this week" only.

The self-referral centre, which will be open from 10am to 6pm until this Friday evening, December 3, has been set up in the wake of county Westmeath having the highest 14-day incidence of Covid in the country, and in light of revelations that over 6,000 students on the third-level campus of TUS Athlone have no access to either rapid PCR testing or antigen testing.

Appointments for the pop-up testing centre in Athlone GAA Club can be made online at: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/covid19/testing/get-tested/

The HSE has said it continues to see "sustained high demand for COVID-19 testing at its community testing centres in the last number of weeks in particular" and said this reflects "the high prevalence of the disease and other illnesses at this time."

They had pointed out that they monitor "test appointment slots continually throughout the day" and slots often "become available later in the day or the following day."