Truly tragic news.
It was confirmed last night that nine people had died at the Maryborough Centre for Psychiatry of Old People in Portlaoise over the weekend. Eight of the deceased had tested positive for Covid-19.
Those who died were between the ages of 66 and 84.
In a statement provided to RTÉ, the HSE expressed "its sincere sympathies to the families and friends of the deceased." The statement also clarified that staff at the care facility were available to provide support and advice to the families of those who had passed.
The Maryborough facility has 28 beds in total, and the 17 current patients are now being managed as though they are confirmed cases of the Covid-19.
The development follows an announcement last night that
two healthcare workers based in St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny had died from the virus earlier this week.
As of 16 April, there have been 444 deaths attributed to Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland, with 12,547 cases confirmed in total. The National Public Health Emergency Team has noted that 2,872 of these cases are healthcare workers.
