First photos from inside new Cavan Covid-19 test centre
The new Covid-19 test centre at Kingspan Breffni in Cavan Town is now fully operational.
Kingspan Breffni replaces the initial testing set-up previously located at the former dispensary in Ballyhaise.
The new drive-through testing centre follows a request by the HSE to use the GAA grounds last month, in line with a then Government commitment to ramp up the level of testing nationwide.
The opening of the at Creighan site had been delayed slightly due to a lack of testing kits nationwide, however, testing has been taking place in recent days.
The new set-up is located in the rear car park of Kingspan Breffni.
This centre is for drive-in appointments only. There is no walk in testing provided.
Appointments are being allocated on each date, commencing with priority groups ie frontline staff, and all attendees are informed of which centre to attend for their test.
A HSE spokesperson talked The Anglo-Celt through what attendees can expect upon arrival.
Initially, patients due for testing are met at a cabin on the drive-way in, where their appointment is checked.
They are given a mask, and directed into one of two operational testing lanes- red or blue.
Testing is carried out in morning and afternoon sessions, depending on the number of daily referrals.
'Working Well'
Attendees wait in either the red or a blue bay until they are ready to be tested.
Attendees are told to stay in their car at all times and follow the signs and the directions of test site staff.
Attendees are directed to a test bay to take your test. They do not get out of their car.
A staff member takes a persons personal details- this is so they can contact them with with their results, and the process of swabbing is explained.
A healthcare worker will then take a swab from inside the attendee's mouth and nose, before the person drives home and remains in self-isolation.
In the meantime, after testing, if a patient's condition is to deteriorate, they are told to inform their GP immediately to be directed to the next course of action.
There are five cabins in total, two of which are used for testing.
Staff working at the centre meanwhile are be provided with their own separate washing facilities in the backrooms of Kingspan Breffni.
The HSE spokesperson said the Kingspan Breffni testing set-up had been “working well”.
They welcomed the additional privacy the new testing site provides to attendees also.
Further Testing Kits were delivered to testing centres across CHO 1- Cavan, Monaghan, Leitrim, Sligo and Donegal- on Saturday, April 4, and testing was and is being carried out at the following six local centres.
Along with Kingspan Breffni, they include Cloghan GAA Park (Monaghan); Irish Wheelchair Association Building, Carrick-on-Shannon (Leitrim); Finiskin Business Park (Sligo); O'Donnell GAA Park in Letterkenny, and Lakeside Centre in Ballyshannon (Donegal).
A further 36 people with Covid-19 died in Ireland yesterday, bringing the overall death toll to 210.
Cavan concern
There were 345 more cases of the coronavirus diagnosed in the country, bringing the number of confirmed cases to 5,709.
Cavan has the unenviable record at present of having highest number of Covid-19 cases per capita outside of Dublin, at a rate of 156 confirmed infections per 100,000 of population.
It is only second after Dublin's rate of almost 200/100k, passing out neighbouring Co Westmeath for the first time.
Co Monaghan has a rate of 84.7/100l.
Co Cavan has 123 confirmed cases, up from 115 published on Monday last, April 6; while in Co Monaghan the number climbed just six to 58.
Dublin's total of 3061, accounts for 55% of all cases in Ireland.
Of those for whom transmission status is known: community transmission accounts for 67%, close contact accounts for 22%, travel abroad accounts for 10%.
Testing positive
The number of positive cases to tests conducted is becoming more efficient.
Of the 12,271 tests carried out in laboratories in the week to midnight on Monday last, April 6, there were 2,374 positive tests - giving a positivity of 19%. This is an increase of 4% from last week.
Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said: “The increase is a result of a more sensitive case definition, testing people who are more likely to have the disease, including healthcare workers and those hospitalised.”