Just after 11am is when queues are at their longest at the Citywest Covid-19 swabbing centre in Dublin. The stream of cars is constant. "We've been at increased demand since September," said Deirdre Kenny, HSE manager for the area. "This morning we can expect 250 people in the first hour and that goes up to about 1,500 throughout the day.
We've been at that number for the last number of weeks." During the summer months the number of swabs taken was averaging just over half that.
But the last few weeks has seen extra demand for the tests, with reports too of delays in trying to secure a booking in many parts of the country.