Almost 500 people per week have been tested at Tipperary’s two Covid-19 Community Testing Centres.
According to figures supplied to Deputy Mattie McGrath 1,737 tests were carried out at the Derg Centre in Nenagh between March 16th and May 25th.
A second Covid-19 test centre is in place at Semple Stadium in Thurles though this has not yet been called into operation.
Meanwhile 2,247 people have been tested for coronavirus at the Moyle Rovers GAA centre near Clonmel.
According to David Walsh – the National Director of Community Operations with the HSE – the initial investment in establishing the CTC in the Derg Centre and Semple Stadium was almost €22,500 while the on-going rental cost of cabins & tenting is €740 per week.
The on-going staffing costs are cost neutral as the CTC is staffed by existing HSE staff deployed from services which have scaled back in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 21st March the testing on site at the Moyle Rovers complex has accounted for 23 days and offsite mass testing of 15 Residential Centres in the area has accounted for an additional 17 days.
The daily cost of Moyle Rovers is approximately €500 per day in non-pay costs.
530 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Tipperary since the pandemic began.
