No online bookings available for Covid tests in Westmeath

It appears that the demand for Covid-19 testing in Westmeath remains very high, with no online appointments for a test currently available in either Athlone or Mullingar on the HSE's website.

Before Christmas, a HSE spokesperson said the pop-up test centre at Athlone GAA Club would be staying open every day over the Christmas and New Year's period, with the exception of Christmas Day.

The Athlone centre has scheduled opening hours of 9am to 6pm from Monday to Thursday this week, and hours of 9am to 4pm on Friday, but self-referral appointment slots on the HSE's website have been in short supply.

One Westmeath Independent reader contacted us to tell us that they had been attempting to book a test since Christmas Eve but had been unable to do so.

We visited the HSE portal for test bookings on several occasions throughout the day today (Monday) and could find no slots available for a booking in either Athlone or Mullingar at any stage.

When there are no online test appointments available, it may be possible to obtain an appointment by getting a referral from a GP.

On Christmas Day, 13,765 cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Ireland, which was the highest single-day figure since the pandemic began.