There was a call this week for the HSE to reconsider their plans to move the main Covid-19 drive-through test centre in the county from Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar, where it has operated since early in the days of the pandemic, to the Breaffy House Resort, which is also the location of the main vaccination centre in the county.
Castlebar-based Fine Gael councillor Ger Deere called for a rethink on the move this week, telling the Mayo Advertiser: "They announced just before Christmas the move from Mc Hale park. Testing at all sites around the country have seen unprecedented numbers attending recently due to the new variant and this had led to major traffic congestion around the town and has caused great inconvenience to the residents of McHale Road over the past nearly two years.
"Over the last year, Breaffy resort has operated as the main vaccine center very successfully and now with the booster and children being eligible, the volume of traffic attending will increase dramatically and adding the testing centre attendees to this will create a serious health and safety issue at Breaffy on the N60.
"This area has seen quite a number of serious accidents over the years and recently, sadly, a fatality where a young man lost his life. There has been an ongoing campaign to have the speed limit reduced and traffic calming measures introduced through the village of Breaffy.
"I also believe that with the ongoing road works on the Turlough to Westport project, that the HSE should find a more suitable and safer location for the test centre or indeed, possibly a number of locations around the county."
