The Covid-19 Expert Panel on Nursing Homes appeared before the Oireachtas this morning.
The country can not allow itself to return to a scenario where hundreds of nursing home residents are dying from Covid-19.
The Covid-19 Expert Panel on Nursing Homes made the comments before the Oireachtas Covid committee this morning.
56% of those who died from Covid-19 up to mid-July were nursing home residents. That's 985 lives, according to the HPSC Data.
Professor Cillian Twomey says we can't allow numbers to peak like that again. He's told the Covid-19 response committee that there is a program of ongoing staff testing in all nursing homes. Positivity rates in the checks during June and August were as low as 0.1 to 0.2%.
The Expert Panel's made a series of recommendations in its report covering areas such as staffing, their skills mix and visiting protocols. The panel has also called for a rapid turnaround for testing for residents.
Professor Twomey added that it would be nice if the arrangement afforded to Health minister Stephen Donnelly could be provided for others.
