An Expert Panel Report on Covid-19 and nursing homes, to be published today, has recommended infrastructural changes to homes to accommodate visits by family and friends.
It says that the Health Information & Quality Authority should also conduct a staffing audit within six months. The report also calls for a clear back-up plan if staff are not available in homes.
The report also recommends new permanent support teams in the community, around the country. The report has over 80 immediate and long term recommendations.
The panel was set up in June following a recommendation by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET). Latest coronavirus stories