Drive-thru coronavirus testing facilities will open at Cork and Shannon airports today.

The facilities are being rolled out to support the new EU traffic light system for international travel, which partially came into effect on Sunday.

The drive-thru facilities will be located at the airport's carparks.

In Cork, at the Express Red Overflow Car Park and in Shannon at Bus/Coach Park Two.

COVIDCheck

The testing will be open to the public as well as passengers. People can book online at Covidcheck.ie; with a range of different costs depending on the type of test administered.

The drive-thru is designed for minimal contact, with those being tested only having to roll down their window briefly to be swabbed.

Turnaround times vary from a few hours to a few days, again depending on the type of test chosen.

Those waiting on results can track their test online just like a package arriving in the post.

If the test is positive, RocDoc, the operator of the facilities will call and will notify the HSE for contact tracing purposes.

Traffic Light system

The EU 'Traffic Light System' is based on data published by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) every Friday.

Countries are designated green, orange or red depending on three criteria:

The number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over a 14-day period.

The positivity rate of the COVID-19 tests carried out in the past week.

The number of COVID-19 tests carried out per 100,000 people.

The EU Traffic Light system. Image: Department of Foreign Affairs

Since late-October passengers from ‘Green’ regions have been permitted to travel to Ireland without quarantining on arrival.

Since last week meanwhile, passengers from ‘Orange’ regions no longer have to quarantine, provided they receive a negative test within the three days prior to travel.

From November 29th, passengers arriving ‘Red’ countries will be permitted to end their self-isolation after five days, provided they receive a negative test.

Reporting from Kacey O'Riordan and Michael Staines