By Cianan Brennan
Croke Park in Dublin is to open as a drive-thru testing facility for the coronavirus Covid-19 from later this evening.
The GAA headquarters has been designated as one of the main testing facilities for north Dublin after a high-level request was made by the HSE.
The new facility is expected to eventually handle close to 400 cars a day, meaning a minimum of 400 such tests, which will exponentially increase the State’s current testing capacity.
As of March 9th, just 1,784 people in the country had been tested for the novel coronavirus, which has caused havoc around the globe.
The new service will be by appointment only, with no walk-in applicants accepted. Tests are to be arranged, as normal, by referral via a person’s GP.
Testing at the centre will be for the people in a vehicle only, who are not permitted to leave their car at any stage of the test.
The service is to run seven days a week, and will eventually ramp up to opening hours of 8am until 8pm.
Eight cars meanwhile are expected to be processed every 15 minutes, the HSE said.
“We anticipate minimal disruption to local traffic and noise,” Mellany McLoone, chief officer of the HSE’s Dublin North region, said in a letter to residents local to the stadium.
“Many people will need testing for Covid-19 over the coming months. A number of locations nationally will be used as designated testing centres. Croke Park is one of the designated testing centres for north Dublin,” Ms McLoone said.
The service is expected to see cars approaching the stadium east of the 80,000 capacity venue’s Cusack Stand, before being processed in the stand’s carpark. Testing is then to take place in a service tunnel, before cars then exit via St Joseph’s Avenue adjacent to the Hill 16 terrace.
“Many of those who attend for testing will have a negative result, however by ensuring testing occurs where needed, we will be in a position to provide services to those who need it most, and minimise the risk to our wider community,” Ms McLoone said.
Those with test appointments are instructed to have their appointment number ready before attending the facility, and to remain in their vehicle at all times.
Ireland is expected to have as many as 1,300 cases of the virus by Sunday evening.
Up until now there had been five hospital sites around the country providing testing facilities.
