Permanent coronavirus test centre needed in Omagh

LOCAL councillors have urged Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann to set up a permanent Covid-19 testing centre in Omagh.

At the monthly meeting of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, there was a broad welcome for the mobile testing unit that had been based for a week at the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital.

But local elected representatives argued that, given the size of Omagh’s population, a more permanent fixture was required in the area.

During its week in Omagh, from Thursday, May 21 until Wednesday, May 27, a total of 368 individuals attended for testing.

The mobile unit, which provides a temporary testing site that can be set up quickly in response to local demand, is currently based at the University of Ulster in Coleraine.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) also has four fixed drive-through sites operating at the Odyssey car park in Belfast, City of Derry Rugby Club, Craigavon MoT Centre and St Angelo Airport, outside Enniskillen.

Dr Jo Deehan told the meeting that, with testing and tracing becoming more widespread, the Omagh area would require a permanent testing centre.

She said that Omagh was the second-largest population centre in the west, only behind Derry.

“Local access to these services is really important,” she said.

Dr Deehan proposed writing to the Minister of Health asking him to provide a permanent testing centre in Omagh.

Seconding her proposal, Trillick councillor Stephen McCann said that a district of the geographical size of Fermanagh and Omagh warranted a second test centre.

He said, “It’s broadly accepted that Covid-19 will be a feature in our lives for the foreseeable future. Testing will obviously be a thing we will be working with daily. It’s not unreasonable to continue to lobby for a permanent fixture in the Omagh area.”