DUBLIN: Forecourt Operator Circle K began selling COVID-19 antigen tests in its stores on Friday, June 4th. The tests are sold in all stores except Circle K Express.
The retailer said the antigen test product has been manufactured in Germany and is being supplied through Irish pharmaceutical company MyBio. Individual tests are charged at €8 each. Meanwhile, Circle K customers can buy two tests for €14 and three tests for €20.
Circle K says the test is easy to administer and that results are available in 15 minutes. It claims that its product is EU-certified and has a 97.83% accuracy rate in detecting proteins of the virus.
However, the company emphasized that the product is not intended to be used as the sole basis for diagnosing or excluding out a COVID-19 case. The retailer added that it is not as reliable as the PCR test.
Gordon Lawlor, managing director, Circle K Ireland, said: “As society continues to reopen and with strong progress on the vaccine rollout front, we feel there is a demand for access to antigen testing products to help further manage the risk associated with this virus.
“We see the use of antigen tests as a complementary additional safety measure alongside the existing public health advice and Government guidance. It is really important that customers continue to abide by these measures and exercise good judgement when it comes to the usage of antigen tests.”
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and public health officials have previously warned the public against using antigen tests. Tánaiste had advised employers to use antigen testing, but not in place of other public health precautions.
CMO Dr. Tony Holohan said the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPET) does not recommend the use of antigen test kits by the general public. He added that the results of antigen tests carried out by the public cannot be relied upon.
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