DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland has seen a more than four-fold increase in coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes in the space of a week, suggesting there is a need for more measures to protect vulnerable elderly residents, officials said on Friday.
Across the whole country, the rate of increase in infections has more than halved since a series of restrictions were put in place from mid March.
But the number of nursing homes reporting clusters of cases rose to 38 from nine from March 24 to March 31, according to the most recent data released on Friday from Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE).
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told reporters the increase had been discussed by the cabinet and the national public health emergency team, which recommends mitigation measures to the government.
“A manifestation of where COVID-19 is at the moment is that the health now of those who are in our nursing homes is a matter of real concern for the government,” Donohoe said, referring to the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
“We are looking at the moment at what additional measures need to be put in place in nursing home environments.”
Outbreaks in nursing homes accounted for almost a quarter of the 160 clusters around the country at the end of March, the HSE data showed. Hospitals accounted for another 18%.
While Irish health officials have said four to five people make up the average cluster, Stephen Donnelly, health spokesman for the main opposition Fianna Fail party, told parliament on Thursday that almost 100 staff members and residents in one nursing home had tested positive for the new coronavirus.
Ireland has reported 3,849 coronavirus cases and 98 related deaths as of Friday.
Health officials across the world have warned that the elderly are especially vulnerable in the global pandemic.
The median age of deaths in Ireland is 82, compared to a median age of 48 of all those infected, according to data from Ireland’s health department.
(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; editing by Andrew Heavens)
