Craigavon Area Hospital: Third Covid-19 outbreak confirmed

Craigavon Area Hospital treated the highest number of Covid-19 patients in NI during the height of the pandemic

A third outbreak of Covid-19 has been detected at Craigavon Area Hospital.

One patient and one member of staff on a general medical ward (Ward 3 South), have tested positive and another 11 staff members are self-isolating.

It follows the identification of two clusters at the hospital last week.

All visiting across the County Armagh hospital has been suspended from Wednesday, with a review to take place next week. Visits may still take place in end-of-life circumstances.

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

Another four patients have now been diagnosed with Covid-19 on the haematology ward, which treats blood disorders.

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

The trust says there are now 16 members of staff on the ward off and self-isolating.

There have been 49 new cases in NI in the past 24 hours

Contact tracing of those staff members has been carried out and another 40 staff members are isolating as potential contacts.

The ward remains closed to new admissions.

On Tuesday, Northern Ireland's chief scientific adviser said trials for a Covid-19 vaccine would begin in Northern Ireland within the next few weeks.

Prof Ian Young said he had volunteered to take part in the trial.

It is hoped that 100,000 people across the UK will take part in the trial, according to the Public Health Agency, with recruitment due to start in autumn.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health has confirmed 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 in hospital with Covid-19, with three patients in an intensive care unit.

There have been 18 outbreaks at care homes.

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