DEATHS FROM COVID-19 in Ireland are not reported in real time but occur over a period of several days, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan has clarified. 

It was confirmed yesterday that 77 more people in Ireland had died from Covid-19, bringing the total number of deaths to 687. 

The 77 deaths confirmed yesterday is the highest mortality figure recorded in one day. 

These deaths occurred between Thursday 2 April and yesterday; 10 deaths occurred on Saturday 11 April. Eleven of these deaths occurred on Saturday. 

Essentially, there is a delay between when a person dies from Covid-19 and the National Public Health Emergency Team being informed of their passing. 

Last week, Dr Holohan called for quicker registration of deaths in Ireland in order to gain a clearer picture of the impact of Covid-19, particularly in nursing homes, where a large number of clusters have occurred.

“I know that there are many families grieving the loss of loved ones across the country. To them we all express our deepest sympathy,” Dr Holohan said last night.

“We continue in our efforts to suppress the spread of this disease.”

Speaking yesterday evening, the Head of Social Care at the Department of Health, Dr Kathleen MacLellan, said there are now 1,761 cases of Covid-19 in long term residential settings and 1,204 cases in nursing homes. 

She said of the deaths recorded 406 have been in long term settings, 337 of these in nursing homes.

On Saturday, the Department of Health confirmed that a census of mortality across all long-term residential care facilities will be carried out. 

The Department said the census will cover all Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 deaths since 1 January of this year, regardless of where the death occurred. 

The data will be published “as soon as possible”, the Department said.

The total number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland now stands at 15,652.