:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZGMOCTLJDBAZHX6XDRV7ZAJUBY.jpg)
A Co Louth nursing home has confirmed the deaths of 23 residents since April, many of which were coronavirus related.
In a statement on Thursday night, the managing director of Dealgan House Nursing Home in Dundalk, confirmed the deaths of 23 residents at the facility since April 1st.
Eoin Farelly said many of the deaths were Covid-19 related.
However, he said he believed the spread of the virus within the nursing home was now under control as there had been no new case in the past 14 days.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7AZGPXSCKWGODXFNPL7VCF4OLU.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/RA3Q7XLPSGTI7GOQRHQXD6XTSM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/3Y3LBHMKYMWQMDEWNM2LU6TDG4.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/JOFOSACAPQOJQTDHKTJVQ3GGQQ.jpg)
While not forgetting those who had died, Mr Farrelly said the emphasis was now on “extinguishing the outbreak” at the nursing home while providing great care for its residents and “trying to normalise life for them to the extent the public health measures allow.”
Mr Farrelly said the substantial external support which the nursing home had received to bring the outbreak under control would wind down gradually as regular staff returned to work.
Earlier on Thursday, Sinn Féin Louth TD Ruairí Ó Murchú said in the Dáil that 26 people were believed to have died in the Dundalk nursing and calls were made for an investigation into what happened in the residential setting. Mr Ó Murchú said he had been shown figures indicating that all the deaths were linked to coronavirus. He called on Minister for Health Simon Harris to confirm that number of fatalities was correct.