An Iraqi family at the centre of a Covid-19 ‘travel cluster’ in Sligo say they have been targeted by racist abuse.
Hemen Orang, who runs a barbershop in the town, spoke out about the online attacks which began when up to 14 members of his extended family tested positive for the virus.
He explained that his brother Hamza had tested positive after returning from four months in Iraq as international travel restrictions eased.
Hemen collected his brother along with his wife and child from Dublin airport on Monday 22nd June and drive them back to their home in Sligo where they met up with other close family members.
“The next day straight away they went for tests and they were tested positive,” he told local radio station OceanFM.
“I didn’t know that he was positive otherwise I wouldn’t have risked my pregnant wife, my unborn child.”
Many members of the family were tested and have been in self-quarantine since according to Hemen with several believed to have been infected.
“At the moment, everybody is fine,” he said. “Nobody is showing any signs of Covid-19. But everybody is self-isolating.”
The case comes amid a furious debate on the safe return to international travel.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has urged Irish people to cancel all summer trips abroad.
He cited a cluster in the north west linked to foreign travel when he spoke at a briefing on Monday but did not mention any case by name.
Hemen spoke out to correct misinformation circulating on social media and to explain to customers of his Boston Barbers salon in Sligo why the business was temporarily closed.
He also hit out at racist comments left on social media platforms.
“It is very difficult, I don’t have any symptoms now and I am going to get tested again in two days’ time, I feel totally fine,” he said.
“But when I see all those messages, all those racial abuse it actually hurts.”
“There is a lot of incorrect information being circulated about this,” the man’s brother told reporters.
“My brother left Ireland back in February before there was any official Covid-19 case in the country.
“Hindsight is a wonderful thing but at the time, the airports were still open, there were none of the restrictions that followed and loads of people were flying in and out of Ireland.
“When my brother came back, he was totally fine. If he had any idea he had it, he would have stayed in Iraq rather than bring it back here.”
