Roscommon town at centre of Covid scare after person at a party tests positive

It is understood around 60 people attended the party in Elphin, Co. Roscommon. 

A small Roscommon town is at the centre of a Covid-19 health scare after a person at a party tested positive for the virus.

It is understood the person had been tested shortly before the party but the result only emerged later.

The person is believed to have later told pals he was not told he needed to self-isolate until the test result came back.

Since the party, which was held in Elphin, everyone who was a close contact of the person who tested positive has been tested.

It is understood around 60 people attended the party or were among those in contact with those at the party.

News of the case in Elphin comes as the Department of Health has revealed that, of the 324 new Covid-19 cases, six are from Roscommon.

A number of businesses in Elphin have since voluntarily closed down for the time being.

They include Conal Tiernan, who runs the Elf Inn restaurant.

He told Shannonside Radio: “When I heard the spike had increased in the Elphin area, I said to myself there is no point waiting for it to land on the doorstep.

“I just made the decision in the interests of the safety of my staff and customers that I’d close until the Covid has gone from the area.” Roscommon County Councillor Joe Murphy told the Irish Examiner the incident in Elphin is “a wake-up call”.

He said: “I think people have become lax.

“It’s a wake-up call that this is serious enough.

“I don’t know all the details, and a lot of what is being said locally is speculation.

“But I understand that there was a party in Elphin, there is a positive case, and there is contact tracing underway.

“There is a case of Covid-19, and we are all now waiting to see what happens next.” 

He added: “Up to this point we have been doing OK in Co Roscommon.

“There has been the odd case here and there.

“But people need to remember they have to keep taking precautions and they should not drop their guard against this virus.”