One-third of deaths in nursing homes from Covid-19 in January

Until now only one in four nursing homes have remained completely free of Covid-19. File picture

One-third of the deaths in nursing homes from Covid-19 took place in January, and there were 4,300 cases between residents and staff, the health committee heard today.

The rising levels of infection have impacted on staffing, which is putting further pressure on the homes, as HSE officials said about 2,000 staff are currently on Covid-leave.