Longford’s Covid spike sees tighter restrictions at local nursing homes

A decision by HSE chiefs to choose a new laboratory in which to test Covid-19 examinations has been blamed on the release of a number of 'positive' results which subsequently turned out to be incorrect.

Last week, the HSE revealed to management at Laurel Lodge Nursing home that a number of tests carried out on staff at the Longford town facility had returned positive results.

Senior officials at the nursing home immediately suspended all visiting in accordance with public health guidance.

However, a retest on the initial examinations taken turned up negative results with the spotlight falling on a decision by HSE bosses to opt for an alternative laboratory in which to run the rule over swabs.

In correspondence seen by the Leader, families and relatives of residents were told all staff and residents remain “symptom free” of the virus.

“We are delighted to confirm that the virus was not detected in any of our staff on the retest and hence the previously reported ‘positive’ results were incorrect,” families were told.

Relatives have also been informed Department of Health chiefs are investigating how the controversy arose in the first instance with family members of residents being told the issue “may be related to the fact a different lab was used” for serial screening to be carried out.

Management said the events of last week had “brought home” the need for all stakeholders to remain vigilant in light of a recent spike in coronavirus cases locally.

The nursing home was due to recommence “controlled visits” on Monday.

Meanwhile, visits at St Joseph’s Care Centre in Longford are to be curtailed with each resident being confined to one nominated visitor, the Leader has learned.

The move comes amid a recent spike in Longford cases of coronavirus.

It follows similar measures imposed in Dublin which is entering its third week in lockdown as health officials attempt to stem the spread of a virus which has already claimed over 1,800 lives since its outbreak at the end of February.

Chairperson of the HSE’s Dublin-Mid Leinster Health Forum Cllr Paraic Brady, in revealing the decision to limit visitor numbers, said the move was one which was purely a preventative measure and not one aimed at causing undue alarm among the wider public.

“In fairness, they (HSE) are 100 per cent right,” he said.

“It’s a precautionary thing, nothing more and you can’t blame them for deciding to do so. We need to do all we can to keep our elderly and frontline staff safe and this is, at the moment, one way of doing that.”

Those pre-emptive measures come some six weeks after the Dublin Road facility declared none of its residents or staff had fallen foul of the virus after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19.

Cllr Brady also took time to welcome Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly’s announcement to sanction another €30m for nursing homes to support areas like staffing and personal protective equipment (PPE) over the next three months.

“It's a step in the right direction because, at the end of the day, our frontline staff are doing an incredible job and they need all the support and protection we can give them,” he said.