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THERE ARE NOW a total of 38 clusters of Covid-19 infections in the country’s nursing homes, according to new figures.
A report published today by the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) found that out of the 160 clusters, which are outbreaks of positive cases that are likely to be connected, 38 had occurred in nursing homes – accounting for 23.8% of Covid-19 clusters in the country.
The report published today, which analyses data as of midnight on 31 March, notes that the vast majority of outbreaks (29) are in the east of the country. Three clusters are in the midwest, three in the northeast, two in the west, and one in the midlands.
The rise in figures comes after Fianna Fáil’s health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly yesterday told the Dáil that almost 100 staff members and residents in one nursing home tested positive for Covid-19.
He said that of the 100 residents, 19 have tested positive and four have died.
“The situation is very serious. Nursing homes cannot get the staff they need, particularly in areas where additional skills, such as palliative care, are required. They cannot get their hands on personal protective equipment. They are receiving small amounts but that is not enough,” Donnelly said.
In an effort to minimise the impact the virus is having on nursing homes around the country, the HSE and Home and Community Care Ireland agreed to temporarily redeploy hundreds of home care workers to nursing homes and residential care facilities to support staff there during the outbreak.
As part of measures, carers will be temporarily redeployed from caring for low dependency clients in their homes if these clients can be cared for by family members who are at home due to social isolation.
The surge of confirmed cases seen in nursing homes so far is expected to hit hospitals in the coming weeks, the president of the Irish Association for emergency medicine told Morning Ireland today.
Dr Emily O’Connor said evidence in the UK suggested many people “will get seriously ill, quickly, and at the same time” and that may be when hospitals struggle.
O’Connor warned that 5% were expected to need critical support.
The fear is that if too many patients need critical care at the same time hospitals may run out of space and staff to treat them.
Today’s HPSC report also shows that community transmission was responsible for a quarter of instances.
Almost 90% of those who have died of coronavirus are aged 65 and above but two deaths have been recorded amongst patients aged between 25 and 34. Two people, one aged between 35-44 and one between 45-54, have also died.
Out of 3,282 laboratory-confirmed cases, 91 have died, giving a case fatality rate of 2.77
- with reporting from PA
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Can I have my money back now
It’s like’…..burning your furniture – to keep warm!
Why are PwC saying this instead of IBRC and NAMA?
As property prices start to rise nama , ibrc start to dump property
Can someone explain why?
Dumping loans philip, not property. They’re Dumping the loans as they’re non-performing and want to get them off the balance sheet.
If they had the patience, they’d put arrangements in place to allow the properties to return to positive equity and then seek a sale, this recouping more of the tax payers money.
Unfortunately, they’ll sell the loans for a discount and allow the new purchasers to do this and net a tidy profit.
The article outlines that IBRC (IBROKE would probably be a better name) will offload € 15 billion in loans.
Yet the linked article tells us that IBROKE have already offloaded 90% of its loanbook, € 19.8 billion out of € 21.7 billion leaving just € 1.9 billion on hand.
This can only mean, if the previous article is correct, that it is NAMA that is offloading the majority of the loans.
Why the subterfuge?
Why make people think that this is some kind of joint enterprise when it is NAMA that is leading the charge?
Have the shiny suit brigade from the canal something to hide?
Given their obsession with secrecy it would not surprise me if they have, perhaps selling the loans to some preferred customer with an inside track at a serious discount.
The way things go it will all be wrapped up before we know anything, plus ça change.
Who in their right mind would buy this junk?
It might only be worth 30% of face value but if you buy it for 20% it’s a good deal. For the buyer anyway.
@ Irish Revolution
The Banks?
Hedge funds bought it. They will now sell off all the ghost estates etc at a lower price so people that have houses for sale at the min will eventually have to sell for half or take them off the market.
Fab house here in drogheda asking price €325. Hilarious. You could now nearly get a house for that on raglan road or ailsbury road!! So that house is realistically worth less than €150 really.
People and notions ha
What about Bank of Scotland selling on my mortgage & others in their Irish portfolio to a company called Tanager Ltd.
I’m in a tizzy all day because I don’t know what it means for us.
have your say