Covid-19 testing centres to close nationwide

COMMUNITY testing centres for Covid-19 will this Thursday, March 30, close nationwide.

According to a HSE statement, the public health advice for Covid-19 has been updated and from this Thursday, Covid-19 testing is “no longer recommended for the vast majority of people”.

In line with this advice, community testing centres nationwide will close this Thursday, as will the self-referral portal for ordering PCR tests.

Dr John Cuddihy, HSE National Director for Public Health, said: “We are making these changes based on best available evidence in relation to managing Covid-19, recognising the high level of vaccine-induced and naturally acquired population immunity in Ireland as well as the development of new treatments, all of which are mitigating the worst impacts of Covid-19 infection.

“Testing for COVID-19 will not be necessary for the vast majority of the population.

“For most people, if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or other viral respiratory tract infections, they should stay at home and limit contact with others until 48 hours after their symptoms have substantially or fully resolved – they do not need to do a COVID-19 test.”

Also, from this Thursday, health care workers who are household close contacts are no longer required to do antigen tests, the HSE said.

Therefore, the current antigen-ordering portal on the HSE’s website will close.

Specific guidance will be issued to health care workers.

Eileen Whelan, HSE Lead for COVID-19 Test and Trace and Vaccination, said: “A reduced contact tracing service will remain and contact tracing will be limited to those who have had a positive test in settings and scenarios (such as hospitals and long term care facilities) where further transmission is likely, and could have serious impact based on Public Health Risk Assessment.”

The HSE said that both PCR and antigen testing will continue to be used by doctors in hospitals and General Practice settings for the purpose of diagnosing and deciding on the provision of treatment for Covid-19 to a patient.

Public Health teams may also decide that Covid-19 testing is required in the management of an outbreak in a high-risk setting where they believe further transmission is likely and could have serious impact, based on Public Health Risk Assessment.

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