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DUBLIN AIRPORT’s new Covid-19 testing center expects to see an increase in demand in the run-up to Christmas as people choose to get tested before visiting loved ones during the festive season.
The drive-thru test center located next to Dublin Airport opened today, with a steady stream of people showing up for testing.
A walk-in facility will open this weekend for those without a car. Test facilities are now open at Cork and Shannon airports.
A few hundred people a day are expected to undergo testing at the Express Green long-stay car park, where the testing facility is located.
Passengers flying in and out of the country are expected to benefit from the test center under the new travel rules set out in the EU traffic light system.
However, the test facility is open to anyone who wants to take a test.
Christmas time
With the conversation surrounding Christmas, David Rock, CEO of RocDoc, the private company that offers the service, said he expects to see an increase in numbers in the lead up to Christmas as people make plans to visit. to family and friends during the holidays.
Speaking about a testing facility the company also has open in Ashbourne, he said they are already seeing people without Covid-19 symptoms attending to take a test for peace of mind.
Yes, certainly, from the Ashbourne Center, we are finding that there are a lot of people doing that right now, where they have to go or want to go to see their loved ones, maybe before they die, or because they are critically ill, or for any other reason and they enter us as a precautionary measure ”, it helps.
“We see that it will possibly increase during the Christmas season,” he said.
While initially the test center can handle a few hundred tests per day, it is increasing the capacity to perform 12,000 tests per day, if necessary.
“We were very interested in having this open before Christmas, because we don’t want Covid to spread in this country. We want to keep it under control. We believe testing is the best way to do it. That’s why we work with these test centers across the country, ”he said.
While the opening hours are currently 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., the company is looking to extend the hours if there is an increase in business before Christmas.
The drive-thru test center is operated by the private healthcare company Rocdoc.
Source: Sam Boal
The drive-thru service for PCR testing costs € 129. Again, it will take one to two days for a PCR test result to be returned.
Currently, PCR tests, the standard Covid test, which generally uses a nasal swab, are the only type of test recognized by the Irish health authorities.
HSE’s testing capacity is not affected by the new center. If someone tests positive at the center, the HSE is reported positive for tracing purposes.
Rock said he has the ability in case people choose to take a test before traveling home for Christmas to spend time with loved ones.
The Rocdoc facility will also offer LAMP testing, which is not yet recognized in Ireland in terms of international travel, but has a shorter turnaround time.
Other EU countries operate with different testing regimes and travelers are urged to verify the requirements of their destination country.
It is understood that the National Virus Reference Laboratory (NVRL) is conducting a validation process for the LAMP tests. If approved by the Department of Health, the new test could be incorporated into Ireland’s testing regime.
RocDoc will offer LAMP tests at a price of € 149 to € 159.
However, the cost of testing is expected to drop as demand increases, Rock said.
The company wants the test to drop well below € 100 over the next few months, he said.
They want the cost of the test to be well below € 100 in the coming months.
There will also be a shortcut facility for people who want to cycle or for people who do not have a car. pic.twitter.com/PPPxjGdetf
– Christina Finn (@ christinafinn8) November 19, 2020
He said the company is also considering implementing antigen testing in the future.
In the net week, the government must establish how it plans to lift the Level 5 restrictions and also outline what measures could be implemented by Christmas this year.
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The Taoiseach has already indicated that it will largely come down to personal choice and responsibility.
In terms of international travel, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said that if people need to travel home to see their family this Christmas, they should follow the rules set out in the EU traffic light travel plan.
Speaking with Pat Kenny of Newstalk, the Health Minister said that there are two different sides to the government’s advice on international travel and Christmas, which he believes the public understands.
“The first part of the message is that we are in the middle of the biggest pandemic in 100 years… so the public health council is if you don’t have to travel… in the middle of a global pandemic, which is causing so much pain and pain and cost to everyone, then don’t do it. “
“The second part of the message is, however, if you need to travel, and that includes if you haven’t seen your family, and if you need to go home and see your family at Christmas, then there is a clear traffic light system in place. with protocols that you must follow, ”said Donnelly.
“I think it’s a common sense approach,” he said.
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