A group of seven County Waterford doctors have lobbied for the establishment of an additional PCR testing facility in Waterford.
It comes as a result of severe pressure on current testing capacity.
PCR test appointments at the HSE facility in Kilcohan have been fully booked up in recent days, with no appointments available until Sunday at earliest and many people signed on to a waiting list.
It comes as the HSE Chief Executive, Paul Reid, conceded earlier this week that the PCR system had become ‘overwhelmed’, with the Omicron variant now ‘rampant’ across communities.
Local electoral data is currently unavailable until Thursday January 13th, although it will not result in any gap in time series data as the current period is set to be included when data updates return.
GP concerns
A letter has been sent by a group of seven West Waterford doctors calling for the urgent opening of the previously used PCR test centre in Dungarvan.
The letter states:
“We, the undersigned GPs working in the West Waterford area, request the HSE to urgently open the Dungarvan Covid-19 testing centre. Not doing so is leading to delays in testing of up to 4 days. Patients have been inundating our surgeries complaining of not being able to book a test themselves, despite having Covid-19 symptoms and positive antigen tests. This is leading to a massive spike in new infections due to further spreading of the virus and is taking up a huge proportion of available patient consultations at an already busy time of year.”
Local Labour Party Councillor John Pratt told WLR that he has been contacted by a number of concerned GPs in West Waterford on account of the current situation.
Cllr. Pratt believes current capacity issues are ‘not good enough’.
“Case numbers are rising again. At lot of people are doing antigen tests but when they go looking for PCR tests, they’re waiting a few days. It’s not good enough, especially when there is no centre in Dungarvan to facilitate the West of the county, at least. I got an email from GPs which outlined how they have been lambasted with phone calls from people, trying to get doctors to help them secure PCR tests. It’s busy enough as it is. It’s actually adding to their already busy surgeries. They are finding it very hard to cope with this. We need to look strongly at ways to try and relieve the issues.”
Previous centre
A pop-up PCR walk-in test centre was previously made available at the grounds of the Dungarvan Community Hospital on account of a Covid cluster in the locality earlier this summer.
Cllr. Pratt says that anything that can potentially alleviate concerns should certainly be explored. He believes that a minority of people are carrying on as normal until they have the guarantee of a diagnosis from a PCR test.
“Anything that can alleviate people’s worries would be welcome. I can’t say this 100%, but what might be happening is that people are getting positive antigen tests, and they should follow the advice and self-isolate until they get the PCR test. In some cases, my belief, and what I am hearing from reliable sources, is that people are still going out into the community until it’s been confirmed by a PCR. That’s not correct either. It’s very difficult. This new variant is so transmissible. I know it will be said that there is a test centre in Clonmel and so on, but it’s full. If one more can be put in situ and can be staffed, even just for a few weeks to get people over the hump and get more people tested, surely it’s another step in the right direction.”
South-East
With test centres full in Tipperary, Kilkenny, Wexford and nationwide, Cllr. Pratt also admitted that people from the South East, not just Waterford, are doing all that they can to secure a PCR appointment in the county.
“It seems at the moment that cases are rising. Cases are high everywhere at the moment. It’s a no-brainer to open another facility. The pressure needs to be put on, and I mean it in a sincere way, on the HSE. We need to ensure an additional centre to get over the next few weeks. People are worried. They’re worried now than we were at the beginning of the pandemic. People should follow the guidelines, but this is a serious call on the HSE to put this in situ. It’s coming from GPs in the likes of Tallow, Lismore, Cappoquin, Ballyduff. If they’re looking for it, it must be realised that this is a serious issue. Surely, it has escalated and needs attention.”
Antigen roll-out
Waterford TD and Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Health, David Cullinane, says antigen testing must be made free to help with the overwhelmed PCR system.
Deputy Cullinane has called upon the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, to set out a strategy to manage what has become a rapidly deteriorating situation.
“The Omicron variant is now rampant in communities right across the state. The surge in case numbers is placing unprecedented pressure on the PCR testing system. Current HSE capacity is 300,000 tests a week. That is 6% of the population being tested every week. We are approaching, or are at, full capacity. The system is struggling to cope with the unprecedented demands being placed upon it. It is therefore clear that we must now place a far greater emphasis on antigen testing.”
This is causing huge difficulties for people in getting access to a PCR test. About 1/3 of confirmed cases are as a result of a positive antigen test. All the more reason we need to see greater use of antigen testing and it being made freely available.
— David Cullinane T.D. (@davidcullinane) December 30, 2021
'Dithering'
He says it is ‘beggars belief’ that the government ‘continue to dither’ when it comes to antigen testing.
“One third of positive cases through a PCR followed a positive antigen test. That is all the more reason to see greater use of antigen testing, and for it to be made freely available.
We need to utilise all tools available to us to suppress the spread of Covid-19. It therefore beggars belief that the government continues to dither when it comes to a public rollout of antigen testing. Minister Donnelly needs to act now and set out a strategy to manage what is a rapidly deteriorating situation. The first part of that strategy should be to make antigen testing widely accessible and free, as it is in the North and as we have consistently been calling for.”
'Isolation'
Deputy Cullinane also says clear and unequivocal advice must be provided with regards to isolation.
“Antigen testing must also be given a more formal and prominent place in the overall testing system. These testing and suppression measures must be backed up with clear and unequivocal public health advice on isolating. I have raised these concerns with Minister Donnelly and am awaiting a response.”
The 7-day positivity rate in Ireland is now 39.4% with 21,847 positive swabs in today’s figures. The positivity rate today (Thursday December 30th) is 49.56%.
21847 positive swabs, 49.56% positivity on 44,081 tests.
7 day test positivity is 39.4%.- Thursday, December 30th 2021#COVID19Ireland pic.twitter.com/QJmMkbjrQk
— COVID-19 Data Ireland (@COVID19DataIE) December 30, 2021
As of 8pm last night, there were 21 Covid patients on site at University Hospital Waterford. Two of those patients were receiving intensive care.
