Ms Siobhán McArdle:

Nursing homes or residential care facilities for older persons, both private and public, in each community healthcare organisation area are treated equally in terms of levels of support. As Mr. Woods said, the supports for this cohort include the provision of PPE and advice on prevention and control. In recent weeks, we have been supporting all nursing homes, both private and public, in the provision of Covid-19 testing on a serial basis to ensure we are supporting the staff to remain well and healthy in the context of Covid-19 and to protect the health and well-being of the residents in that setting. We see the approach to all our nursing homes, particularly residents for whom these facilities are their home, as core to the way we deliver our services in the community. We do not really differentiate between them. They are treated equally in the advice they receive and in the Covid-19 response we are putting in place to ensure safe levels of care.