Efforts to reduce the number Covid-19 infections in nursing homes are being stepped today up following yesterday's meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said he wants to see continuous action as nursing homes account for at least a quarter of 171 known clusters of the disease, affecting both staff and patients in many places.
Later today Minister for Health Simon Harris will unveil a new scheme of temporary assistance payments to support resilience and service continuity in private and voluntary nursing homes.
The Health Service Executive is also sending what it calls "crisis response teams" including senior nurses, public health doctors, and medics into nursing homes in a supportive