A TOTAL of 18 staff members from a ward at Derry’s Altnagelvin Hospital are currently off work as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak.
The Western Health Trust has confirmed that three members of staff on ward 40 have tested positive.
Another 15 are currently off work and self-isolating as a precautionary measure.
The trust said all 23 patients on the ward have been tested and there are currently no positive cases.
It is understood stroke patients are treated on ward 40.
Meanwhile, 10 members of ambulance staff in Craigavon have tested positive for Covid-19, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has confirmed.
The 10 staff members were on a golf trip in the Republic of Ireland.
A further six workers have also been advised to self-isolate.
The Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Michael Bloomfield said none of them was seriously ill.
He said that Craigavon station had a total staff of 60.
Fifteen of them were on the trip, 12 of whom were ambulance staff and 10 of those had tested positive.
Mr Bloomfield said it was believed the the initial case, which was discovered on 13 September, was contracted through community transmission from a family member.
“As a result of the staff being away together that’s how it happened and it highlights how contagious the virus is,” he said.
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