Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
PRIVATE PARTY CAUSED COVID CLUSTER
Health Minister warns scare is proof bug has not gone away
A COVID-19 cluster in Northern Ireland has been linked to a private party, the Public Health Agency revealed yesterday.
The spate of cases has been traced to Limavady in Co Derry and was described as a warning that the battle against the killer bug is far from over.
Health Minister Robin Swann said he had “long anticipated” clusters will happen.
He added: “I would once again urge everyone to guard against complacency. The virus is still
present in our community and must never be underestimated.”
Yesterday’s Department of Health figures revealed 16 new cases – nine of them in the Causeway Coast and Glens Council area which includes Limavady. There were no
new fatalities and Northern Ireland’s death toll remains at 556.
The latest Covid-19 reproduction rate is between 0.5 and one.
In a statement, the PHA said testing and contact tracing was being used to stop the newly confirmed cluster from escalating. It
added: “With lockdown restrictions being eased this type of occurrence is to be expected, which is why the test, trace and protect programme is in place.
“Contact tracing is an established method to help prevent the further spread of infections such
as Covid-19 and we are using this approach to target potential clusters which could spark new outbreaks.”
Limavady SDLP councillor Ashleen Schenning called on those who had recently gone to private parties in the area to self-isolate. She said:
“These are deeply worrying times. I would urge people across our community to continue to look out for each other, keep your distance and keep following the public health advice.
“I would also urge people who have attended private parties in the town over the last fortnight to look after
our community by selfisolating and stopping the chance of it spreading.”
Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael Mcbride admitted social gatherings were a problem on “both sides of the border”.
He added people should continue to follow advice and urged they “avoid
crowds”. Dr Mcbride said: “We have made important strides forward against the virus, but we must always remember that we have a long way to go.
“We face a very uncertain next few months and the very real prospect of a very challenging autumn and winter.” Alan Robinson, DUP
councillor for Limavady, cautioned people against speculating about the cluster.
He added the town remained “open for business”.
East Derry Sinn Fein MLA Caoimhe Archibald said it showed we are not “out of the woods yet”.