THERE was palpable excitement in Fermanagh last Friday morning when Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen.

Mr. Johnson’s visit was shrouded in secrecy, with members of the press only becoming aware of his imminent visit early on the day.

The Prime Minister arrived in Enniskillen shortly before noon, travelling to the Forum escorted by police cars and security.

His team chose to bring Mr. Johnson into the vaccination centre by the back door instead of the front.

There, he was joined by Secretary of State Brandon Lewis, with the pair also greeted by a healthcare worker, Garrett Martin.

Others at the Forum included the Northern Ireland First Minister, and Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA, Arlene Foster; Baron Nigel Dodds, MP; Health Minister Robin Swann MLA, and Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Chair, Councillor Diana Armstrong, all of whom entered via the front door.

Mr. Johnson made no comment when asked by The Impartial Reporter what the purpose of his visit to Fermanagh was, as he entered the Forum.

Upon his arrival, he was greeted by healthcare worker Garret Martin, Western Trust Vaccination Centre Coordinator.

The Prime Minister spent some time inside the Forum, chatting to healthcare workers and to patients receiving their vaccinations.

Members of the public gathered outside the Forum to shout and cheer at the Prime Minister when he exited the forum, with the crowd of onlookers roaring in greeting when Mr. Johnson exited the building.

However, others queried whether the Prime Minister's visit would be considered as 'essential' travel.

Speaking on the event First Minister Arlene Foster said: “

Western Trust Chief Executive, Dr. Anne Kilgallen, welcomed Mr. Johnson's visit and said: “On behalf of the Western Trust, I would like to warmly thank the Prime Minister and the rest of the delegation for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit us today here at the Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen.

“Our staff have been working extremely hard since the vaccination programme was launched in January, with more than 70,000 doses administered across the Trust area, to date – more than 13,000 here in Enniskillen alone.

“This visit represents true recognition of the scale and value of their [Trust staff, healthcare workers and vaccinators'] combined efforts and I, like everyone else within the Trust, would like to express my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of them," said Dr. Kilgallen.

Council Chair Diana Armstrong said: “It was wonderful to see the Prime Minister come to the Council area and particularly the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum to see the work that's been done, and the high performance of the vaccine programme.

"Just to really observe the success of the programme, and why it's taken all the stakeholders and all the partners to work together, I was absolutely delighted to see him.

"It reinforces the good work that's been done in our district, and also by the Health Minister and Patricia Donnelly [the head of the Covid-19 vaccine programme] and the roll-out of vaccines."