Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey has reiterated the party’s calls for an urgent to ramp up community COVID-19 testing following the death of five residents at a West Belfast care home.

Speaking, the West Belfast MP said:

“I want to firstly extend my condolences to the family and friends of five people who have sadly passed away in a West Belfast care home.”Four of the deaths are confirmed COVID19 cases, with the fifth death suspected of also being linked to COVID19. 

“They are in the thoughts and prayers of our community.

“I want to also commend the workers in the care home who are on the frontline caring for vulnerable citizens.

“There is an urgent need to ramp up testing in the community, particularly in care homes where clusters have been proven to be fatal for residents.

“A lack of testing means the possibility that the true scale of the crisis here is unknown.
“The World Health Organisation has told us continuously that key to overcoming COVID19 is test, trace and isolate. We must actively work to this advice.”