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Drive-thru Covid testing for Shannon Airport

A privately operated drive-thru Covid-19 testing facility is set to be established at Shannon Airport.

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A similar facility will be set up at Cork Airport by Meath based healthcare company RocDoc who announced last week they were seeking to fill 200 positions to help run three drive-thru testing centres.

The first centre has already been set up at the company’s base in Ashbourne and has been running seven days at week. The healthcare group had already said it had plans to open another in the Limerick/Clare area and now it has been confirmed that one will at Shannon Airport.

At present, a patient can attend at a HSE testing facility once referred by a doctor. However, now, people can visit a private RocDoc centre and have a Covid-19 test carried out for a charge.

The company offers approved tests which cost between €149 and €199, depending on how quickly a person wants their results. Results are available in a few hours; the same day or 1 to 3 days according to the company’s website.

Shannon Airport has confirmed that the facility there will be located at Coach Park 2 adjacent to departures. It’s expected the centre will be up and running by next Thursday (12th).

RocDoc staff will carry out pre-departure testing for passengers flying out of the airport, in accordance with the EU ‘Traffic Light’ system for international travel, which will be implemented in Ireland from midnight tonight.

While the test centre will be available to passengers, the facility will also been open to local businesses and members of the public who wish to be tested.

RocDoc will be conducting pre-departure tests for passengers flying out of the airport in accordance with the EU’s traffic light system.

RocDoc offers Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) approved CE marked tests using PCR and LAMP technology. Prices for this service start at €149 per test. Results from RocDoc’s tests using the LAMP method are available within just a few hours. They also provide tests using the PCR method. Patients can book their tests on CovidCheck.ie.

David Rock, Chief Executive of RocDoc, commented ‘’We are very pleased to announce that we will be operating the testing facilities at Cork and Shannon Airports. While our focus will be to provide testing for passengers flying in and out of the airports, our facility will also be open to members of the public who wish to have a test or local businesses who want to keep their staff safe. Since opening the country’s first drive-thru testing centre in Ashbourne in August, we have been inundated by enquiries from all over Ireland. The two facilities are the first step in meeting this huge demand. In the next few weeks, we will also be rolling out another regional testing facility.’’

David Rock continued: ‘’RocDoc also offers a mobile category two laboratory and testing facility which can meet the needs of large organisations that require same day results. This means we can offer businesses on-site, express testing of staff which helps them keep their businesses open.’’

From its headquarters in Ashbourne Co. Meath, RocDoc operates Ireland’s only private drive-thru COVID-19 testing service which launched in August earlier this year. The company has over 20 years of experience in the provision of field hospital units for music festivals and concerts in the UK and Ireland, such as the Isle of Wight Festival. The company also provides support for the annual Dublin City Marathon, where they provide over 150 medical professionals and 15 ambulances. The company currently operates a GP service and a Minor Emergency Department in Ashbourne.

Shannon Group CEO Mary Considine said: “This is a really welcome development for the local community and businesses who will be able to avail of this service. What we all want is for a safe return to air travel and having the facility to offer pre-departure testing at the airport is an important step in restoring consumer confidence to fly again. I would like to wish David and the team at RocDoc every success with the venture.”

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