DUNGLOE based biotechnology company Randox Teoranta has become the latest Donegal business to be affected by the coronavirus.
It comes as 16 new Covid-19 cases in Donegal were announced last evening.
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Donegal has shot up by more than seventy in the last week and brings the county’s total to 629 since the coronavirus outbreak began.
Among the most recent cases were nine workers at the Burrito Loco restaurant in Letterkenny last week while Lifford Old Courthouse closed its doors on Monday after a member of staff received a positive Covid test.
All swimming lessons were brought to a halt in Aura Leisure Centre in Letterkenny on Wednesday after a member of the swim teach team tested positive for Covid-19.
Dr. Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health, said the current situation has deteriorated both in Dublin and nationally over the past week.
“Along with Dublin we have seen particularly concerning trends in Louth, Waterford and Donegal. It is now absolutely essential that people action public health advice and act as if they or those close to them are potentially infectious,” he warned.
Elsewhere, Naomh Padraig GAA Club in Lifford suspended all activities last week after four members received positive tests.
“Over the last week, 11 members have been tested, 7 members results were negative. 4 members results were positive,” a post on the club’s Facebook page read.
“Due to the swift action of Naomh Pádraig GAA Club, to-date no Covid-19 transmission have occurred between club members. We would like to thank all our members for doing the right thing and taking immediate actions to protect everyone in the wider community.”
The Robert Emmets club in nearby Castlefin also suspended all activities earlier this week due to a confirmed case within the club. On Wednesday St Mary’s GAA Club in Convoy temporarily suspended all Friday night underage activity and girls training on Saturday after a member from the underage groups tested positive for Covid-19.
Randox, who have developed a rapid test for Covid-19 suitable for labs and general use, confirmed yesterday, Wednesday, that a number of employees have tested positive for the virus at their Dungloe facility which employs over one hundred people.
“Randox Teoranta takes the health and safety of its staff with the utmost seriousness. We can confirm there has been a limited number of Covid-19 cases and are taking all necessary precautions in line with guidelines regarding any potential further infections,” a Randox spokesperson said.
“Randox had previously considered the risk of infection within the Dungloe workforce and have built in processes in order to support our staff and our clinical operations in such an eventuality. There will be no impact on operations, including Covid-19 testing at scale,” he added.
With little more than thirty cases confirmed cases in Donegal throughout May (18), June (-12) and July (19) the numbers are starting to ramp up once more. There were 61 confirmed cases in August while there has already been more than fifty cases (51) in the first two weeks of September.
Meanwhile, there was one patient with Covid-19 remains in the Intensive Care Unit at Letterkenny University Hospital last night, Thursday.
Latest HSE figures seen by the Donegal News show that the patient in LUH is one of 14 people who are currently in ICU units in Irish hospitals. There are two confirmed cases in Letterkenny and six suspected cases.
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