Craigavon ​​Area Hospital: Third Covid-19 Outbreak Confirmed

A third outbreak of Covid-19 was detected at the Craigavon ​​Area Hospital.

A patient and a staff member of a general medical ward (Pavilion 3 South) have tested positive and 11 other staff members are self-isolating.

It follows the identification of two groups in the hospital last week.

All visits to the Armagh County Hospital have been suspended since Wednesday and a review will take place next week. Visits can still take place in end-of-life circumstances.

The Southern Trust says no further cases have been identified in the emergency department, after three staff members tested positive and 21 were in self-isolation.

Four other patients have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in the hematology ward, which treats blood disorders.

Ten patients were confirmed to have the virus last week, along with eight staff members.

The trust says there are now 16 staff members on guard and self-isolated.

The contacts of those staff members have been tracked and 40 other staff members are isolating themselves as potential contacts.

The room remains closed to new admissions.

On Tuesday, Northern Ireland’s chief scientific advisor said trials of a Covid-19 vaccine would begin in Northern Ireland in the coming weeks.

Professor Ian Young said that he had volunteered to participate in the trial.

100,000 people across the UK are expected to take part in the trial, according to the Public Health Agency, and recruitment will begin in the autumn.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health has confirmed that 49 more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 7,294.

Eighteen people are hospitalized with Covid-19, with three patients in an intensive care unit.

There have been 18 outbreaks in residences.

In the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Health recorded 217 more cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total to 29,025.