People with symptoms and concerns about the virus may have a free test; the Acting CMO says

No one will have to pay for the Covid-19 test if they are concerned that they have the virus, said Dr. Ronan Glyn, Acting CMO.

During a briefing at the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), the Acting Chief Medical Officer stressed the importance of the public being tested for covid-19.

“No one should have to pay. If (people) are concerned they’ve got Covid, they should have an assessment with their GP and they should be able to get a test without any charge,” he said.

The general assumption is that having a set amount for virus testing would lead people to neglect the testing. This may result in wide-range of community transmission.

“People need to be able to come forward and get tested quickly where they’ve got symptoms or where they’ve any concerns,” Glyn added.

While Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Siobhán Ní Bhriain said that that the HSE would pay for tests for workers at meat factories where Covid-19 clusters had emerged, SIPTU, which represents many of the workers are concerned about how the testing of staff at the factories would be paid for.

Glyn advised parents not to worry about the possibility of transmitting the virus in schools before their reopening later this month. Few children will be infected by the virus and clusters may even be present when schools re-open.

“Thankfully, it appears in the vast majority of cases of children who do get this disease, they do not suffer any serious consequences as a result.”

The Acting CMO said he understands parents’ concerns about the safety of their children but their education is equally important as well.