All but two residents in NI care home test positive for coronavirus

Figures reported by the Nolan Shown on BBC Radio Ulster show that in one nursing home 36 out of 38 residents have tested positive.

In another home, 29 out of 49 residents tested positive for the virus.

And in another, 36 out of 72 residents tested positive.

None of the homes have been named.

Information on the infection rates within each of Northern Ireland’s 484 registered care homes is not published by the Department of Health.

The most recent statistics published at Stormont show that more people are now dying from coronavirus in care homes than in hospitals.

For the week ending April 24 - the most recent available from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency - 58% of coronavirus deaths occurred in care homes compared to 37% for hospitals.

New figures are expected to be published tomorrow.

On Tuesday, Northern Ireland health minister Robin Swann said that as hospital admissions fell the “frontline fight” had moved to care homes.

Amnesty International has described the figures reported by the Nolan Show this morning as “shockingly high”.

Patrick Corrigan, the organisation’s Northern Ireland programme director, said: “These figures are incredibly alarming - and raise serious questions around the consequence of the Executive’s failure to properly protect Northern Ireland’s care home residents and key workers from COVID-19.

“Care workers and frontline medical staff have been facing a chronic shortage of personal protective and testing equipment for months, while testing has been too little and too late to avert this tragedy

“The Executive must now act quickly to provide adequate protective equipment, testing and training for those on the frontline of this crisis. Any further delay will only cost more lives on top of those already tragically lost.”

The Department of Health has been approached for comment.