Nursing Homes Ireland calls for heightened vigilance amongst public as Covid cases increase

Nursing Homes Ireland has urged people visiting nursing homes to maintain heightened vigilance with an increase being reported in Covid-19 cases among older and vulnerable age groups.

NHI reminded wider society to be mindful of contacts with people who would be in nursing home settings.  During the last surge, where the virus was significant in community settings, it became significant in nursing homes in those areas.

NHI CEO Tadhg Daly states: "The increase in cases in the community must increase our vigilance surrounding visits to nursing homes. We urge anyone visiting nursing homes to ensure they follow public health guidelines and individual nursing home advices and measures. Failing to adhere to this can jeopardise the health and lives of people in our nursing homes.

"We take this opportunity to remind people to be vigilant regarding nursing home residents and urge people too to be very attentive in their contact with staff in our nursing homes and those that visit them. We take this opportunity to thank the public for their continued support for nursing homes."  

As presented by the Covid-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel, “There is reason to believe that where there is ongoing community transmission, settings like nursing home will be more vulnerable to exposure from the many interactions with external people.”

The transmission of the virus into and within nursing homes is multifactorial and the very infectious nature of it makes it difficult to prevent and control. People in nursing homes are disproportionately likely to contract it compared to their peer-age-group.