Covid-19 testing lab to close this weekend due to ‘inevitable staff shortage’

A large COVID-19 testing lab is shutting down this weekend, citing “an inevitable shortage of staff.”

The National Virus Reference Laboratory at University College Dublin will not process tests this holiday weekend, even as health officials warn of the growing number of Covid-19 cases in Ireland.

In a statement, the large test center said: “Due to unavoidable staff shortages, the NVRL will not be able to provide any SARS-CoV-2 tests on the weekends of October 24, 25 and 26.”

The test center will also not be open the weekend of October 31.

“Apologies for the late notification and for any inconvenience this may cause,” the statement said.

The news has already been criticized by opposition politicians. Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly, speaking in the Dáilasked Health Minister Stephen Donnelly if anything had been done to address the staff shortage.

She said it was “very disturbing”.

“We have already seen a disaster regarding tracking,” he said. “Testing is absolutely essential.”

Labor Party leader Alan Kelly said the situation was “very serious” given the increase in cases.

He called on the Minister of Health to “indicate how this will affect the processing of tests and describe what contingency measures will be implemented to ensure that all Covid tests are processed in a timely manner.”

Yesterday, 1,066 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Holohan said the country was now at restriction level 5 because the disease is at “very serious levels in our country and poses a significant risk to public health.”

According to the latest data, 17,746 tests have been performed in the last 24 hours, with almost 117,000 completed in the last seven days.

The National Virus Reference Laboratory would have processed some of these Covid-19 tests.

Throughout the crisis, health officials have emphasized the importance of a strong testing capacity operating alongside a robust tracking system as key tools to combat the virus.

The HSE has been contacted by TheJournal.ie.