LISTEN: Over 50 staff at Craigavon Area Hospital self-isolating following third coronavirus outbreak

By Brett Campbell

Over 50 members of staff are self-isolating at Craigavon Area Hospital after a third coronavirus cluster was confirmed on site.

The outbreaks have prompted hospital authorities to suspend visiting for at least seven days in all but end-of-life circumstances.

Chief Executive of the Southern Trust Shane Devlin says contact tracing and testing is ongoing. 

He also warned that more services could be affected by the pandemic after a number of surgeries were cancelled due to the latest outbreaks which are not believed to be linked. 

The Southern Trust said a new cluster had been detected in one of the Co Armagh hospital’s main wards, Ward 3 South, with one patient and one staff member testing positive overnight on Monday.

Eleven ward staff are self isolating as a result. 

That's in addition to the 40 employees self -isolating  following a separate outbreak within the hospital's Haematology Ward where 16 staff and 14 patients have tested positive. 

The ward remains closed to new admissions. 

A previous outbreak with the Emergency Department which resulted in 21 staff self-isolating is now considered to be over. 

No further cases were identified there after three staff tested positive last week. 

Visiting at the hospital will be suspended from Wednesday. The trust said the suspension would be reviewed after seven days.

“The trust’s priority is to limit the number of people in the hospital while Covid-19 continues to circulate in the community,” the trust said in a statement.

“We understand that visiting is important to our patients and clients and will reintroduce visiting as soon as it is safe to do so.

“Visiting is only for end-of-life care and must be arranged with the ward manager.”