COVID-19 testing facilities operated by Irish healthcare company RocDoc are now fully operational at Shannon and Cork Airports following an official launch on Friday.
RocDoc’s testing facilities are the first step in Ireland’s implementation of the EU-wide ‘traffic light’ system, which requires all passengers travelling from at risk regions to undergo a pre-departure test for Covid-19.
RocDoc will provide the tests for passengers flying out of Cork and Shannon airports in accordance with the system and people can now book a test by visiting covidcheck.ie
The facility at Shannon Airport was formally opened today by the Mayor of Clare, Councillor Mary Howard, who was also the first person to be tested at the facility.
The facilities at both airports will also be providing private testing services to the public, with test results available within just a few hours. RocDoc’s state-of-the-art laboratories will be on-site at each location to process the tests.
RocDoc provides Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) approved CE marked tests using PCR and LAMP technology. Prices for this service start at €149 per test. Results from RocDoc’s tests using the LAMP method are available within just a few hours. They also provide tests using the PCR method.
David Rock, Chief Executive of RocDoc, commented ‘’ This has been a huge operation and we’re very pleased to have our facilities fully operational. At both airports we will be installing category two laboratories and testing facilities which will be able to process over and above the expected tests per day.
Our focus is to provide testing for passengers flying in and out of the airports, but our facilities are also open to members of the public who wish to have a test or local businesses who want to keep their staff safe.
Since opening the country’s first drive-thru testing centre in Ashbourne in August, we have been inundated by enquiries from all over Ireland. The two facilities are the first step in meeting this huge demand. In the next few weeks, we will also be rolling out another regional testing facility.’’
The new drive-thru Covid-19 testing centre at Shannon Airport will be located in Coach Park 2. Congratulating RocDoc on the initiative, Mary Considine, CEO, Shannon Group said: “This is a really welcome development for the local community and businesses who will be able to avail of this service.
“What we all want is for a safe return to air travel and having the facility to offer pre-departure testing at the airport is an important step in restoring consumer confidence to fly again. I would like to wish David and the team at RocDoc every success with the venture.”
Cork Airport Managing Director, Niall MacCarthy welcomed the opening of the RocDoc testing facility saying “Cork Airport and the aviation sector urgently needs a clear pathway to recovery.
“The pandemic continues to pose a huge problem for the aviation industry. Airports and airlines alike hope that widespread testing will give passengers greater confidence to travel.
“As a result of this initiative, passengers flying from Cork Airport can now get a test in advance of travel to prove they have tested negative for coronavirus for any health authorities that require it for Irish originating traffic.”
From its headquarters in Ashbourne Co. Meath, RocDoc operates Ireland’s only private drive-thru COVID-19 testing service which launched in August earlier this year. The company has over 20 years of experience in the provision of field hospital units for music festivals and concerts in the UK and Ireland, such as the Isle of Wight Festival.
The company also provides support for the annual Dublin City Marathon, where they provide over 150 medical professionals and 15 ambulances. The company currently operates a GP service and a Minor Emergency Department in Ashbourne.
