A Longford nursing home has been forced to stop all visits after a number of positive COVID-19 cases have been detected.
Laurel Lodge Nursing Home in Longford Town is understood to have over a dozen cases of the virus among residents and staff.
These cases were detected in the last week.
Longford-Westmeath Fianna Fáil TD Joe Flaherty expressed his disappointment over the outbreak but insisted all necessary measures were being rolled out by the facility.
‘It is a worrying development but I do know Laurel Lodge has led the way in effectively managing the virus and while it is disappointing for the facility, I have no doubt that all necessary measures are being put in place,’ he told Longford Leader.
‘The reality is this is a fast moving virus and is something we are going to have to live with.’
Extra.ie have reached out to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and Laurel Lodge Nursing Home for comment.
The news comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) have shared concerns regarding a new variant, named ‘Mu’, which could be dangerous.
The variant of COVID-19, which is also identified as B.1.621, was first identified in Colombia back in January of this year.
Although the variant hadn’t been on the radar in a big way after it was found, the WHO has since confirmed that it is now a variant of interest (VOI).
In its latest weekly update on the epidemiological situation in relation to COVID-19, health officials warned that tests are required to determine if this variant is highly transmissible and more vaccine resistant than other mutations.