An Alliance MLA has urged the Public Health Agency (PHA) to reveal full details after 16 Covid-19 clusters were identified in Northern Ireland.
The Irish News has reported that 16 clusters linked to 133 positive cases of the virus have been identified through contact tracing since May 24.
Alliance health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw said “the nature of those clusters must be revealed”.
Earlier this month a cluster of Covid-19 cases was identified in Limavady, believed to be linked to a house party were a karaoke microphone was passed around.
The PHA has confirmed that another cluster has been identified in Ballymena and they are “monitoring” developments.
A spokesperson said the PHA is “aware of a number of cases in the Ballymena area that may be associated with a cluster”.
A cluster is defined as two or more cases among Covid-19 deriving from the same place with the onset of the illness within 14 days.
Multiple cases of Covid-19 in a single household is not classed as an outbreak.
Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw
Ms Bradshaw said she had asked questions about outbreaks in particular locations, but had been told “these were just matters of increased transmission”.
The South Belfast MLA, who earlier this week cancelled a family holiday to Italy after confusion around travel guidance, said it was important to identify what was being learned from contact tracing.
“Now it turns out that the recently publicised case near Limavady is one of sixteen since 22 May. The issue is we have not been informed about the nature of these clusters and, particularly, how they originated,” Ms Bradshaw said.
“A public health emergency needs public support and therefore good public information. That means the public must be fully informed about the types of behaviour which have proven particularly dangerous in terms of leading to super-spreading events.”
The Alliance MLA urged Health Minister Robin Swann to “ensure the Public Health Agency publishes information about the nature of each cluster and what we can learn from it”.
A PHA spokesperson told the Irish News that they did not intend to comment on individual cases.
“As with all cases of Covid-19, the PHA will monitor the situation, look for trends and linked cases and where we need to advise or inform the public of any increased risk to public health we will do so in a timely manner,” the spokesperson said.
“We will not comment on individual cases as this could lead to people being identified and deter others with symptoms coming forward to be tested. We would ask everyone to be mindful of this risk.”
The PHA and the Department of Health has been contacted in relation to this story.
Belfast Telegraph
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