Covid booster appeal as passports scheme triggers abuse of staff

REPEATED appeals are being made for people across south Tyrone to get their booster vaccinations against Covid 19, as fears mount over the impending spread of the new Omicron variant.

Last Wednesday, the Southern Health Trust said the vaccination centre at the South Lake Leisure Centre in Craigavon would reopen as part of this latest battle against the virus.

The leisure centre also reopened to the public for walk-in vaccinations further details on opening times will be available on the Southern Trust’s Facebook page.

The Trust have also appealed for staff to step forward and help in the vacination drive. “We are appealing to all of our Southern Trust staff who are trained and preferably who have previously administered the Covid-19 vaccine in our centres to come forward and help support a rapid expansion of our COVID vaccination booster programme over the next three weeks,” said a spokesperson for the Trust.

“This is a significant task and we urgently need your help. We will be mainly working out of two venues – in Newry and Craigavon and have immediate shifts available.”

To date, there have been 569,326 booster vaccines administered across the North.

Figures from the Department of Health last Wednesday, showed that in Mid Ulster there were 802 new cases over the last week, a reduction from the total of 928 cases over the previous week.

Meanwhile Dungannon councillor Dominic Molloy has hit out at those who have abused door staff checking for Covid passports, which have now become legally enforceable.

“Whilst many people have acknowledged that the measure is simply one of many to help in the fight against the spread of Covid 19, others have engaged in serious abuse both online and in person,” said Cllr Molloy.

“Staff on doors have been verbally abused and insulted, there can be no justification for this, these staff are merely there to do a job and earn an income to support themselves and their families and I find it disgusting that they are being treated in this manner. I would ask everyone regardless of their opinion on the issue to please treat staff with respect and courtesy.”