The Covid-19 testing centres in Carlow and Kilkenny are now open for ‘walk-ups’.
It’s because all the local HSE IT systems are down, and GPs can’t refer at the moment, due to a ransomware cyber-attack that’s affected the heath service nationwide overnight.
The test centres at St Dympna’s in Carlow and in the Hebron Industrial estate in Kilkenny will now accept people who walk in without an appointment but priority will be given to anyone who has symptoms.
The HSE says all local patients should attend any arranged health appointments unless told differently – all existing appointments and vaccinations will go ahead.
All of the HSE’s IT systems have been shut down after the ransomware virus was decected in the early hours of this morning and it’s liaising with Gardai and the National Cyber Security Centre.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid is reassuring us that the Ambulance Service isn’t affected and neither is the vaccination rollout.
