Virus ‘surging very rapidly’ says health trust as 73 COVID-19 positive patients in Craigavon Hospital

A total 73 patients at Craigavon Area Hospital have tested positive for COVID-19 as the Southern Trust confirmed around 540 staff are now isolating.
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The Trust confirmed that patients with positive COVID-19 tests are being cared for at ‘several sites’ including Lurgan Hospital.

Mrs Lockhart said: “The 73 figure is higher than the initial outbreak which peaked at 63 in Craigavon Hospital with COVID at any one time. Therefore it is important we continue to help push the infection rate down.”

A spokesperson for the Southern Health Trust said: “At this critical stage of the global pandemic, when Covid-19 is surging very rapidly in our local community, the Trust is managing Covid-19 cases on several sites as a direct consequence of the rise in Covid-19 in the local community. There are also more than 500 staff, throughout the Southern Trust, on leave for Covid-related reasons.

“We are experiencing extreme pressures across our hospitals and facilities as we provide care and treatment to Covid positive patients/clients in wards and facilities across The Trust. Craigavon Area Hospital Emergency Department has been very busy recently and the public should attend only if they need emergency treatment. They also need to come alone or with 1 adult if absolutely necessary and they must wear a face covering and wash hands.”

Meanwhile a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon based in Craigavon Hospital has urged the public to slow down when driving and take care at all times to help reduce the risk of injuries as hospitals are experiencing extreme pressures due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 in the community.

Mr Ronan McKeown said: “Currently, our hospitals are rightly gearing up for the latest coronavirus surge and we will not have the resources to provide our normal high level of service within orthopaedics.

“If people do injure themselves, we may not be able to offer them the surgery they need at this time which may unfortunately lead to long term health consequences for those individuals.”

Ronan and his colleagues working in Trauma and Orthopaedics are used to treating patients with a wide variety of injuries related to: road traffic collisions, accidents in the home, sports activities and much more. Many of these injuries could be reduced.

Mr McKeown said: “More accidents happen in the home than anywhere else, so I would encourage everyone to be mindful of the dangers in and around the home. Ladders, steps, cables and power tools are all potentially dangerous at the best of times, so we would really urge people not to take unnecessary risks and to delay any jobs which could wait.”

He added: “We know that reducing speed by even 10 mile an hour will significantly reduce the risk of a road traffic collision and will reduce the risk of injury in the event of a collision.

“By cutting your speed you will be helping yourself and others and taking pressure off the health service at this most challenging time. To limit the spread of the virus and reduce the risk to our patients, the public and our staff, we need to minimise the number of people in and around our hospitals as far as possible.”

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