Clarity on tracing sought as guests at party feared to be at the centre of new virus cluster

Anxiety after reveller went home on public transport

A KERRY TD last night called for ‘clarity’ on contact tracing after reports that a house party in Killarney is feared to be at the centre of a cluster of Covid-19 cases.

Up to 30 people are believed to have travelled from around the country to the party, which took place at a rented house.

A letter, sent by consultant in public health Dr Margaret B. O’Sullivan last Friday to GPs, advised that close contacts of an infected person are being followed up and advised, and ‘are being referred for testing. Several departments of public health in other HSE areas are involved.’

This comes after a public health statement last Tuesday, which said that persons with Covid-19 in the Kerry-Cork region in recent days had been identified and traced.

Kerry Sinn Féin TD, Pa Daly, said last night that clarity needed to be provided as to the success and speed of the contact tracing effort after the party.

‘It is a concern. There really needs to be clarity on this,’ said Mr Daly, who warned that the people of Kerry did not want to see any further ‘high-risk’ behaviour from visitors to the county.

‘There has to be personal responsibility and that is particularly the case with young people because these house parties are high-risk affairs. There is far less of a risk with families that are coming to holiday in Kerry in rented houses and cottages, which are fairly booked out already.

‘Just when it is opening up, some cracks seem to be appearing, having done very well over the past six months. We don’t want to risk a big

‘There is a lot of concern’

outbreak again,’ said Mr Daly.

There is added anxiety over the Killarney party after it emerged that one of the people who attended travelled home on public transport, according to Dr O’Sullivan.

However, the letter makes clear that an investigation has shown that the revellers did not socialise beyond the confines of the rented accommodation.

‘Our current information is that this group of young people essentially stayed and socialised together – having house parties in their rented accommodation but not attending any other congregate settings like pubs,’ wrote Dr O’Sullivan.

However, Mr Daly claimed last night that the biggest fear in Kerry is not from internal travel, but from the visitors coming into the country and ignoring the 14-day self-isolation rules.

‘The next six weeks are crucial and there will be a lot of people... coming from England and there is a source of concern there as well.

‘The rules around people coming in from abroad will have to be very strictly enforced. There is a lot of concern about people coming into the country and not socially isolating.

‘There is concern about the house parties here, but there is as much more concern about people flying into the country and not observing the self-isolation for the 14 days.

‘There is a view that it is not going to be possible to ensure that they isolate when they come into the country,’ added Mr Daly.

That concern was reflected yesterday in Co. Clare when a bicycle tour hire company revealed on Twitter that it had cancelled a booking from American tourists who had made no effort to abide by the quarantine restrictions imposed on visitors.

‘Had to cancel guests booked on a guided tour today who just arrived from the US and [who] didn’t think 14 days self-isolation was “mandatory”. I know we are in tourism but I’m just not willing to risk it for staff and other guests. These people are in the country and socialising,’ claimed the tweet, posted by E-Whizz, the electric bike guided tour company.