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He told members of the Stormont assembly that experts had suggested that testing every 14 days was too big a gap, and that there was room to catch coronavirus between the two
« Going from twice a week to once a week for caregivers would be an appropriate response to the level of risk we are currently seeing »
Regular screening of all asymptomatic staff every 14 days and asymptomatic residents every 28 days began in August
M Lynch said his office had been contacted by some nursing homes reporting delays in returning test results, which he said also needs to be addressed
Northern Ireland recorded the lowest proportion of excess nursing home deaths in the UK in the first months of the pandemic, research shows
Half of the deaths from Covid-19 between March and June involved residents of nursing homes, according to a recent study by academics from the LTCcovid organization
« It is clear that the levels of spread in the community have increased to a much higher level unfortunately
« We need to look at the health care workers and nurses living in our community, who come every day
She said: « It is very important that we follow the advice of experts in science and medicine »
She said a quick response could involve more staff on duty and ensuring testing is done efficiently
Some houses have 100 beds « It’s not easy You are dealing with people with advanced dementia »
There are currently 53 care homes in Northern Ireland with a lab-confirmed outbreak of Covid-19, according to the Department of Health
An outbreak is recorded when two or more residents or staff of a nursing home have either a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of Covid-19 or symptoms of illness within 14 days
Northern Ireland, Coronavirus
News from the world – GB – Coronavirus NI: Health center staff « should be tested weekly »
