All staff and residents at nursing homes are going to be tested for Covid-19 over the next ten days.
A census of all deaths in long-term residential care facilities so far this year is also getting underway today.
While the health watchdog is planning to carry out urgent inspections.
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The death toll from coronavirus in the Republic now stands at 530, with more than half of them in nursing homes.
Meanwhile a total of 17 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Clare yesterday by the National Public Health Emergency Team.
It was the biggest daily increase recorded in this county so far since the virus outbreak began and brings the total number of confirmed patients here to 136.
