Coronavirus Ireland 94 further deaths and 1,013 more cases confirmed as hundreds of nursing home residents still without vaccination

One in three of the Covid-19 deaths in January was a nursing home resident. Stock image

Ciara O'Loughlin

February 03 2021 06:08 PM

There have been 94 further Covid-19 related deaths and 1,013 more cases confirmed by the Department of Health today.

This comes as hundreds of nursing home residents are still without their Covid-19 vaccination after being hit by another wave of infection as the virus spiralled out of control in the new year surge.

The virus struck several nursing homes last month claiming the lives of 369 elderly residents.

One in three of the Covid-19 deaths in January was a nursing home resident.

The extent of the death toll in such homes, reaching 1,543 since the start of the pandemic, was revealed at the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday.

Yesterday, a record 101 Covid-19 related deaths were confirmed, with the youngest being 19-years-old.

Some 83 of these deaths occurred in January and 18 in February.

Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said the high number of deaths is due to the surge of infection from several weeks ago, and that “we have a long way to go”.

He added: “The best way to honour those who have died from COVID-19, and those who loved them or provided care for them, is to follow the public health advice.

“What we can have control over today is the outlook of this disease in the weeks to come. Your positive actions matter, and they add up at a collective level. Please keep it up.”

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly paid his respects to the 101 people whose coronavirus-related deaths were confirmed yesterday.

Appearing on Virgin Media’s The Tonight Show, he said: “It’s heart breaking, it’s 101 men and women of a lot of different ages.

“It’s 101 families tonight who are mourning and not only are they mourning but they are having to mourn at a time when no one can mourn the way they want to, it is really tough.

“Our thoughts are with them, with the friends and family of all of those people.”