The challenges facing nursing homes have been top of the agenda at a meeting between the Health Minister Simon Harris and the sector’s representatives.
Staffing and Personal Protection Equipment are key issues that need to be addressed according to the CEO of Nursing Homes Ireland.
Tadhg Daly said the surge in cases is effectively in the sector and they must work to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Mr Daly said: “The challenge is to ensure that where there are outbreaks that we up our game, but critically also for the significant majority of homes where there are no outbreaks, that we must remain on call to ensure the safety of the residents in those homes so that we can mitigate the virus at this point in time.”
It comes as Ireland saw its highest number of deaths in a 24-hour period today.
Forty-one people diagnosed with coronavirus in Ireland died, bringing the state’s total to 406.
With an additional 548 new confirmed cases reported by Irish laboratories and 284 confirmed cases reported by a laboratory in Germany, there are now a total of 11,479 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
As of midnight on Monday, some 90,646 tests have been carried out in Ireland.
Of these some 62,952 have been completed in Irish laboratories and 27,694 completed in a laboratory in Germany.
Earlier the National Public Health Emergency Team met to continue its ongoing review of the state’s response to Covid-19.
Amongst the issues discussed was the impact of the virus on residential care settings, as well as a strategy to conduct a study to identify the proportion of the population who have ever had coronavirus, regardless of testing.
Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said he remains concerned about the impact on nursing homes and residential care settings.
“The National Public Health Emergency Team is monitoring developments in these facilities and continues to advance supports and actions where needed,” he said.
“From the beginning, we have been aware that vulnerable groups, including the elderly, are at greater risk from this virus.
“These groups will continue to be our priority.”
Chief clinical officer Dr Colm Henry added: “We are not seeing a significant increase in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in our hospitals or our ICU’s over the last number of days, and that is down to the efforts of every individual who has followed advice to stay apart and slow the spread of the virus.
“To everyone playing their part, the health service is grateful.”