Outbreak of 30 cases at nursing home affects both residents and staff
THIRTY cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed at a nursing home in east Donegal.
It is understood the outbreak is among both residents and staff at Brindley Manor Nursing Home in Convoy.
It comes a day after 31 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed at a care home in Co Laois, again among residents and staff.
In a statement, Brindley Manor Nursing Home confirmed family members of residents had been contacted and informed of the situation.
The nursing home said it could not comment on these cases because they were personal health related matters.
A family liaison officer has also been appointed and will be engaging with the relatives of residents to provide regular updates on the health, welfare and care of their loved ones.
Residents who have tested positive for the virus are isolating in their rooms.
Brindley Manor Nursing Home remains fully operational but is closed to nonessential visitors in line with Level 3 Government restrictions.
The home’s statement said: “Our director of nursing is leading the care team at the nursing home and is working closely with Public Health and our medical director to ensure all appropriate measures are put in place to contain the virus.
“We would like to thank all our staff for their dedication, selfless efforts, and tireless work.
“We would also like to acknowledge the tremendous support given by Public Health, the HSE, Infection Control and our lead inspector at Hiqa.”
There are growing concerns about the rising number of Covid-19 cases in nursing homes.
On Tuesday, 31 cases were confirmed among staff and residents in a nursing home in Co Laois.
Kilminchy Lodge Nursing Home in Portlaoise, which is owned by the same operator that runs the home in Donegal, said 21 residents and 10 staff had tested positive.
Seven clusters associated with nursing homes were confirmed last week are a “worrying development”, Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) has warned.
A letter sent on Sunday by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly points to 31 open outbreaks in nursing homes, seven of which have been reported in the last week.
“It’s a worrying development,” said Tadgh Daly, chief executive of NHI.
“We have seen it all the way through and all the leading health experts have agreed that if there is a spike in community transmission in a particular community then it increases the likelihood of an outbreak in any health facility, nursing homes and hospitals.”