The Public Health Agency (PHA) has welcomed Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer in the Department of Health, to Linenhall Street, Belfast to visit one of three new satellite sites established by the agency to further bolster contact tracing, and to meet the team behind the PHA’s Acute Health Protection Service. The main Contact Tracing Service (CTS) centre in County Hall, Ballymena will now be supported by three additional sites across Northern Ireland – one in Belfast, one in Armagh and one in Derry/Londonderry. Alongside this, the team in the Acute Health Protection Service

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging people to continue to be vigilant for COVID-19 as rates in Northern Ireland remain higher than elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Dr David Cromie, Consultant in Health Protection at the PHA, said: “It is vital that we all do as much as we can to stop the spread of COVID-19 infection. This is a serious disease and people are still dying or becoming very unwell. “ We need everyone to continue to follow the public health advice, get tested if they are symptomatic, and engage with the Contact Tracing Centre (CTS) if they test positive for COVID-19. If you

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has welcomed Junior Minister Gary Middleton and Health Minister Robin Swann to the Contact Tracing Centre (CTC) in County Hall, Ballymena. During the visit, both Ministers met many of the contact tracers who have been working to help keep the public safe throughout the pandemic, as well as meeting with Aidan Dawson, Chief Executive of the PHA, Andrew Dougal, Non-Executive Chair of the Board of the PHA and Dr Elizabeth Mitchell, Director of Contact Tracing. Aidan Dawson, Chief Executive of the PHA, said: “The public can still play a big part in helping to stop the

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is advising that people must continue to follow public health advice when in healthcare settings due to the increase in case numbers we are currently seeing across Northern Ireland. Rodney Morton, Director of Nursing and Allied Health Professions at the PHA, said: “As we move forward Trusts and health and care services begin to implement plans to reinstate face-to-face outpatient appointments, elective procedures and to offer inpatients the opportunity to have visitors, which is an important part of the patients health, wellbeing and recovery, but we must

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat as hot conditions will continue across Northern Ireland this week. Information and advice is available on NI Direct https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/news/extreme-heat-warning-information-and-advice

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is urging everyone over the age of 18 who has not yet had their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to do so now, as it’s never been easier. Vaccine uptake is an important means of securing protection against COVID-19 infection. Currently over two million doses have been administered in Northern Ireland since the Department of Health launched the vaccination campaign at the end of 2020, helping to save lives and protect a great many others from serious illness. Maurice Meehan, Head of Health Improvement (Northern area) at the PHA, said: “Getting the vaccine has never

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is reminding anyone choosing to drink for this year’s Twelfth of July that despite it not being the same as other years, nothing has changed when it comes to alcohol. The main message is to keep an eye on your alcohol intake by making a plan of setting a sensible limit and sticking to it. Davis Turkington, Senior Health and Wellbeing Improvement Officer with the PHA, said : “Many will be making plans to celebrate the Twelfth and we are encouraging them to keep an eye on their alcohol intake should they choose to drink. “We understand that it has been a long 16