There is a steady flow of traffic to the testing centre at Castlesauderson; where it remains difficult to secure an online appointment for a PCR.

Castlesaunderson Covid test centre operating at maximum capacity

The Cavan Covid testing centre at Castlesaunderson is “currently operating at maximum capacity” say the HSE, with “no potential” to increase throughput due to insufficient lab capacity to process extra tests.

The centre has already increased availability from 340 tests to 450 tests per day. However demand far outstripped supply over the festive period and New Year, with reports of delays of up to seven days reported for testing.

Since Christmas, December 25, 2021, up to Monday, January 10, 2022, a total of 5,664 tests were carried out at the Cavan CTC, with more than one in 10 (782) not turning up for their scheduled appointment.

Over the same period there were 5,863 tests carried out at Clogan GAA grounds in Monaghan, where there were 421 ‘Did Not Attends’.

“There was a significant waiting list between 27 December 2021 to 09 January 2022 due to the increased demand for testing,” accepts a spokesperson, who adds that this waiting list has “now been cleared” and there is currently no more than a 48-hour wait for anyone awaiting a PCR test across Cavan and Monaghan.

As of 12 noon on January 10 last, the backlog for tests in Cavan was 130; while in neighbouring Co Monaghan, 100 people were still awaiting for a PCR swab appointment.

From Sunday to Saturday, (January 2-8) there were 1094 new confirmed cases of Covid in Cavan according to the HSE, and 998 cases reported in Monaghan.

As of Monday last, January 10, in the previous seven days, 306,253 tests were completed nationally with a positivity rate of more than one in two (51.8%).