NUMBERS of Covid-19 patients being treated in local hospitals has reduced dramatically in the past week, however the University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and Nenagh Hospital, which are both managed by the UL Hospitals Group, were dealing with six outbreaks of the virus, the Limerick Post has learned.
As of Tuesday morning (September 5) there were 20 patients across UL Hospitals Group sites with a confirmed Covid-19 diagnosis, including community and healthcare associated cases, a spokesman for the group said.
“This compares with 44 cases across the Group one week previously on Tuesday last, August 29,” he said.
“Our Microbiology and Infection Prevention and Control teams are managing six Covid-19 outbreaks across our hospitals, including four in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and two in Nenagh Hospital. Two outbreaks in UHL were closed over the weekend.”
There were “no additional restrictions” on visitations to UHL, University Maternity Hospital Limerick (UMHL), St John’s Hospital, Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, or Nenagh and Ennis hospitals, however, added the spokesman, “where outbreak teams are convened, visiting on those wards is kept under regular review”.
“Across our hospitals sites, all appropriate infection control precautions are being followed to minimise the risk of spreading Covid-19 infection among staff and patients within our health facilities, and also within the wider community.”
The hospital group spokesman urged relatives and loved ones of hospital inpatients in the region “to book visits using the online UL Hospitals Group visitor app at ulhgvisitor.com as this allows quick and convenient booking of a time slot within visiting hours on all hospital sites”.
“That app has been operational for the past two years, and we continue to advise people that it’s the most efficient way of organising a visit on all our hospital sites,” he said.
“Visitors are urged to co-operate with any advice from staff around local restrictions, hand hygiene, masks, and other precautions. People with any symptoms of Covid-19 (sore throat, cough, temperature, or shortness of breath, etc) are asked not to visit our hospitals.”
