Lifting the Coffin Lid on Hidden Covid Statistics

As of today the ‘official’ total of Covid-19 related deaths within the Six Counties stands at 193. However latest figures from the ‘Northern Ireland Statistics Research Agency’ suggest that the real death toll is likely to be one third higher than figures released by the government.

“It was only recently that those who had died within care homes, or indeed their own home, had been included in government statistics”, said Lasair Dhearg’s Pól Torbóid, “The exclusion of those deaths further exposes the cracks in, and the ineffectiveness of, the Stormont regime.”

He continued, “In the Six Counties there are 484 care homes, with the virus present in at least 70 and almost a third of Covid-19 related deaths have occured within these care homes and hospices – this is arguably largely due to the lack of personal protective equipment available to staff. The state, through its failure to properly protect these front line workers, has facilitated this.”

“It is abundantly clear that there needs to be a surge in testing within our communities, especially where those most at risk of the coronavirus reside, specifically care homes and hospices.”

“Concerns raised with the Six Counties ‘Public Health Agency’ by various organisations, including the Alzheimers Society, have been largely ignored. This has also led to care home staff being forced to source their own personal protection equipment and relying on outside community support. The state has an obligation to protect the most vulnerable in society, this recent evidence suggests that they have allowed care home residents and workers to suffer in silence.”

“They have failed to act on information according to the data provided, accelerating the spread of this deadly virus, which has resulted in the unnecessary loss of additional lives. The state has now agreed that their new reports will display statistics for all Covid-19 related deaths – a measure taken after the fact.”

Pól said that, “All health facilities, public and private, should be brought under the control of a properly funded healthcare system. Nothing less than mass testing, in line with consistent tracking of virus cases, will suffice in the fight against the Covid-19 crisis.”