Coronavirus test centre to open at Queen's University

Queen's say the local community will benefit from the testing facility as well as students and staff

A new testing centre for Covid-19 is to be opened at Queen's University in Belfast (QUB).

It is expected the walk-in centre, which is beside the university's physical education centre, will be able to carry out about 2,000 tests per week.

While it will provide students with greater access to testing, it can also be used by the wider public.

However, tests will have to be booked by appointment online or by phone.

Concerns have recently been raised over capacity in Northern Ireland's testing system for Covid-19.

As well as the new testing centre at Queen's University, mobile testing units are to be sited at Ulster University (UU) campuses in Belfast, Londonderry and Coleraine on alternate weeks.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) announced the new testing centres at the universities on Wednesday.

Exposure pilot

A spokesperson for Queen's University welcomed the new centre.

"The walk-in centre will be located at the physical education centre site on the Queen's campus and will be available to members of the local community as well as students and staff," they said.

"The university has been working with the PHA over recent weeks to establish and implement the centre on University premises.

"It will provide additional capacity of approximately 2,000 tests per week.

"The availability of a walk-in testing centre on campus provides students with greater access to testing and further enhances measures to mitigate the risk of spread on campus."

Meanwhile, the results of a pilot testing programme for 500 university students in Northern Ireland has shown that 30 had antibodies indicating previous Covid-19 exposure.

In August, 500 students were tested on campuses in Belfast, Coleraine and Derry.

The tests included a nasal swab to identify current infection and a blood test to detect antibodies indicating previous virus exposure.

None tested positive for Covid-19, but six per cent had antibodies suggesting they had previously had the virus.

"Of those positive for antibodies, nearly one quarter reported no previous symptoms which included a continuous cough, high temperature, or loss of or change in normal taste or smell," the pilot study found.

"Furthermore, those studying a healthcare-related degree were more likely to have been previously infected."

On Wednesday, it was also revealed a number of students had been suspended from QUB and other universities in Northern Ireland after they breached coronavirus regulations and were issued with Covid notices by police.