University of Limerick, along with the HSE, Public Health Mid-West and Mid-West Community Healthcare has been working to ensure the best protective measures are in place for the UL community during this COVID-19 pandemic.
UL will now facilitate on campus COVID-19 testing by Public Health Mid-West for students who wish to avail of it before they travel home for the Christmas period.
UL students living in the immediate vicinity of the campus will be invited to register for a COVID-19 test without needing to display any symptoms of the virus.
“The offer of on campus testing will build upon the myriad of safety protocols we have in place to keep our community safe,” explained UL President Professor Kerstin Mey.
“It will aim to minimise any virus transmission by helping to identify asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19, particularly among students who intend to return home for the Christmas period.
“There have been some cases of COVID-19 among the UL population of 16,500 students and these are due to community and household transmission. Anywhere we can introduce further safety protocols for our students both on and off campus we will take those opportunities and we are very happy now to be in a position to facilitate COVID-19 testing to our student community,” Professor Mey added.
Dr Mai Mannix, Director of the Department of Public Health Mid-West said: “I encourage students to get tested for COVID-19. It’s free and is a short process that will help protect those you live with, your loved ones at home, your student community and others in your community who will want to enjoy a safe and COVID-free Christmas.”
Overall, UL has seen a high level of compliance on campus with the COVID-19 precautions it has put in place.
Students at UL have been repeatedly advised to follow public health guidelines, to download the COVID tracker app and to self-isolate if they display any symptoms while they await a test.
Students have been contacted with full details on how to register online for an on-campus test. All tests will be processed by the HSE.