Fianna Fáil spokesperson on Older People Mary Butler says she is very concerned about the high mortality rate in COVID-19 cases amongst the over 65s.
Figures published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre this morning show that of the 15,871 laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 notified at midnight on April 20th 2020:
· 3,782 were aged over 65 (23.8% of all cases) and
· 694 of these had died (18.3% of cases over 65)
“The fact is that more than 90% of deaths to date are among the over 65s and they account for nearly a quarter of the confirmed cases. Figures like this mean that we must intensify our efforts in nursing homes and other residential units where older people are present”, said Deputy Butler.
“We must also do more to protect older people in the home. Again, I have to stress that it is essential that home care workers be provided with at least a surgical mask when making visits.
“There is no doubt that older people have carried the burden of this pandemic. Given that we always knew that they were more vulnerable to the virus it seems astonishing that it should have taken so long to take the nursing home issue with the seriousness that it deserves.”
