Almost 250 Covid-related deaths occurred in nursing homes between November 22nd and January 23rd according to data from the Health Protection and Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
There were 247 Covid deaths attributed to nursing homes during the nine-week period and 15 deaths in community hospitals/long-term care units.
During the seven-day period starting on January 17th (Week 3), there were 27 outbreaks of the virus in nursing homes reported to the HPSC, with five additional outbreaks in community hospitals/long-term care units.
These outbreaks ranged from 0-57 cases, and 2-13 cases in each setting respectively.
During the same week, 654 cases of Covid-19 were reported in nursing homes and 71 cases in community hospitals/long-term care units.
Cases and outbreaks in these settings have led to 213 hospitalisations - 166 in nursing homes, 47 in community hospitals - between November 22nd and January 23rd.
According to the Irish Examiner, over 30 residents in four Cork nursing homes and a Kerry community hospital died two-weeks after outbreaks of the virus were detected.
Eight residents at both the West Kerry Community Hospital in Dingle and the Bon Secours Care Village in Cork, and six people in the Amberley Nursing Home in Fermoy have died - all in the period from January 18th to 29th.
It is believed some of the residents had received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and were due to receive the second dose prior to their deaths.
This comes as the latest figures from the HSE show the number of people with the virus in hospitals has fallen to its lowest point since January 9th.
There are now 1,418 people with Covid-19 in hospitals around the country, marking a 7 per cent decrease on yesterday's total, while its down 22 per cent on last Tuesday.
Of the total figure, 206 patients were being treated in Intensive Care Units as of last night.
