Covid-19 testing suspended due to lack of kits

Testing of patients displaying symptoms associated with Covid-19 infection has been suspended in Cavan due to a lack of kits nationally.

The “temporary” measure was confirmed to The Anglo-Celt by a spokesperson for the HSE this lunchtime.

The suspension of testing is for today (Monday), March 30 only, and testing will recommence from tomorrow (Tuesday), March 31.

Testing is still taking place at the Ballyhaise site, and was operational over the weekend, this despite a HSE push to establish a much larger drive-through testing facility at Kingspan Breffni in Cavan Town.

It's understood that the Kingspan Breffni will now only become operational from Wednesday, April 1.

This opening, the spokesperson though noted, is “pending delivery of testing kits”.

The HSE had previously stated that the new testing site for patients suspected of having Covid-19 would be open by Friday, March 27.

As reported first online and this newspaper, the new “drive-through” testing centre on the Creighan site will include two mobile testing units, with staff attending the centre to be provided with their own separate washing facilities in the backrooms.

At present the HSE and Department of Health have established test sites at the former dispensary in Ballyhaise and at Cloghan GAA Park in Co Monaghan. The latter site is presently operation as a drive through testing site.

The Ballyhaise system currently sees patients waiting for swabs wait in their cars in the local church carpark before being called to attend the test site.