WHILE only those admitted to hospital are being tested for Covid-19 here in the North, just across the border specialist ‘drive-through’ centres have been set up as mass testing begins to be rolled out across the South.
While there are plans to increase testing in the North, at the time of going to press less than 3,000 people here had been tested for the virus. At the minute only those who are admitted to hospital are tested, and even NHS staff are not being tested for the virus.
Health Minister Robin Swann has announced plans to ramp up local testing, with the intention of testing 800 people a day in the North, however it is not yet known when these necessary kits will be available or when mass testing will begin.
Just across the Fermanagh border it is a different story, though, with drive through testing centres being set up in our neighbouring counties. Anyone living locally who attends a GP in the South will be able to avail of the test centres, but only if referred to one by their doctor.
The HSE in the South is currently rolling out 40,000 test kits across the country, to deal with a backlog of those waiting to be tested.
As part of this plan, a drive through test centre has been set up at Monaghan GAA’s Entekra Centre, where testing is due to begin this week. While no drive through centre has been set up in Cavan as of yet, local testing is already being carried out in Ballyhaise.
The Monaghan centre was announced as part of the first phase of the HSE’s roll out. With a second phase of drive through centres expected to be announced in the coming weeks, it is believed more may be announced for our neighbouring counties. Breffini Park in Cavan, for example, has been floated as another potential centre.
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