NHS Grampian issue apology over venue list contact release
NHS Grampian have apologised today to north-east venues after it emerged that they did not contact all of them before releasing a list of premises connected to the Aberdeen coronavirus cluster.
In a statement NHS Grampian said: "Our investigations involve interviewing each detected case about where they have gone and who they may have met.
"As part of this we compiled a list of venues visited by these individuals.
"This list was shared in the interests of openness and transparency.
"It was not shared to assign blame, to suggest a venue was a source of infection or to suggest everyone who attended these venues is at an additional risk.
"We worked hard to communicate directly with those venues in advance of publishing the list and apologise unreservedly to those we did not reach.
"We know this has led to a great deal of anxiety for these businesses, their staff and their customers.
2We are ensuring this communication is taking place and appropriate support is being provided by ourselves and our local authority partners as appropriate."
As of today the confirm the number of cases detected in the Aberdeen Covid-19 cluster now stands at 79.
NHS Grampian have to date, identified and spoken to 233 close contacts.
Dr Emmanuel Okpo, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, said: “This is a rapidly evolving situation but our message to the public remains the same.
"Please stick to the government guidance – especially the additional restrictions currently in place in Aberdeen City.
"If you develop the symptoms of Covid-19, you should self-isolate and arrange a test via the NHS Inform website or the staff testing service if you work in health and social care.
He continued: "“I know people will be feeling particularly anxious at present.
"Please be assured that if you are a close contact of a detected case, our teams will be in touch with you.
"They are working extremely hard to make these calls as quickly as they can.
"My message to everyone, whether they live in Aberdeen or elsewhere, whether they attended any of the previously published venues or not, is to stick to the current guidance.
"Use a face-covering where required, wash your hands thoroughly and regularly with water and soap, practise physical distancing, and avoid crowded places. In particular, people in Aberdeen must abide by the current enhanced restrictions."