Eight Covid-19 cases confirmed at test and trace centre

Eight cases of coronavirus have been confirmed at a test and trace centre in North Lanarkshire.

It was revealed on Monday that a cluster of people connected to the NHS England contact centre in Bellshill tested positive for the virus.

The health-board say they are working closely with staff at the Sitel site and assured the public that measures have been brought in to suppress the outbreak.

Dr David Cromie, consultant in public health medicine, said: “Our public health team has been working closely with the employer Sitel and staff in the building who have been encouraged to have tests carried out.

“NHS Lanarkshire’s incident management team has been meeting regularly to investigate.

“A number of people have now been identified as close contacts and almost all have been traced and given advice.”

Dr Cromie added: “A total of eight positive cases associated with Sitel have been identified to date.

“We would like to reassure the local community that appropriate measures have been implemented.”

A whistleblower, who is now self-isolating after testing positive, was critical of how the situation had been managed.

While central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon said she contacted police about concerns the virus would spread at the centre at the beginning of lockdown.

She added staff had “raised concerns about PPE, hygiene and social distancing.”

Meanwhile, a pub in Motherwell took the decision to close on Monday after learning a member of staff was linked to the outbreak at the call centre.

The individual worked at The Tavern on Friday and the pub is expected to reopened later.

Deputy first minister John Swinney said an “extensive contract tracing operation” was under way and would “continue for some time” in order to “interrupt the transmission of the infection”.

NHS Test and Trace is a service operated by the NHS in England to track and help prevent the spread of Covid-19 south of the border.