Health board officials are reassuring residents in Monklands and across Lanarkshire that the risk of Covid-19 is “extremely low” in the wake of a confirmed cluster of cases.
A total of 15 confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been linked to the Sitel call centre at Maxim Park in Eurocentral, and a further five from linked contacts.
Five secondary locations including Owen’s Bar on Main Street in Coatbridge were announced yesterday by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as places which had also been visited by Sitel staff, but they have been assessed as having suitable cleaning and precautionary measures, and customers are not being asked to isolate.
The other linked locations are the Railway Tavern and Merlin’s Bar in Motherwell, Costa Coffee in Carfin and END Clothing store in Glasgow.
Dr David Cromie, NHS Lanarkshire’s consultant in public health medicine, said: “Our public health team believe the risk to the public of Covid-19 is extremely low.
“Test and Protect is proving extremely successful in identifying people who were in significant contact with others suppressing the virus.
“Lanarkshire’s incident management team has been meeting regularly to investigate any developments and we are taking all the necessary steps to identify those who may have been in contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19 and to mitigate the risk of onward transmission to others.”
He added: “If you have visited any of the locations and don’t have any symptoms, then you are not being asked to isolate – however, we would ask you to be vigilant and follow public health advice and national guidance on the NHS Inform website.
“NHS Lanarkshire’s public health team and North Lanarkshire Council are working with all affected premises to ensure that appropriate Test and Protect is followed in line with Scottish government advice.”
Staff members at the call centre have all been advised to isolate for 14 days and take a Covid-19 test, with a total of 393 having been completed by yesterday.
Dr Cromie added: “At this point, the vast majority of people at the site have been tested and received their results.”
