Ulster Unionist Portadown Councillor, Julie Flaherty, said:

“The urgent appeal for off-duty staff to return to work at the weekend in some of our hospitals was caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The system and staff are at crisis point.

“Therefore I was shocked at DUP MP Carla Lockhart describing the situation at Craigavon Hospital being ‘mainly due to weekend pressures’. Health officials described it as the ‘worst 48 hours in Northern Ireland since the start of the pandemic.’

“I think it`s long past time that Carla and her colleagues re-assessed their approach to this pandemic and the messages that they are sending out. Only last week Carla was one of a number of DUP MPs who voted against Covid-19 health restrictions in England at the same time as health restrictions were being implemented in Northern Ireland by her colleagues in the Executive. They are sending out mixed messages and need to wake up and smell the coffee because this is serious. People across this Borough are genuinely fearful and this constant undermining of the health message is not helpful.  If Carla is in any doubt as to the seriousness of the situation, she should speak to my brother who is an ambulance worker.

“I live right beside Craigavon Hospital and the pressures felt there and in Daisy Hill were particularly acute. I can see the steady stream of blue lights passing by morning, noon and night.

“The restrictions currently in place are there to protect lives and help the staff of the health service who are working under extreme pressure. Nobody should be in any doubt about that. 

“We owe all these dedicated people a debt of gratitude. The importance of the public health message cannot be emphasised enough. Stay at home, save lives, protect the NHS. We all have to do this.”