Three further deaths due to coronavirus have been confirmed among residents in Abbotswood Nursing Home in Ballasalla.

The Health Minister announced the deaths at a press briefing yesterday (Monday).

As we went to press, the total number of deaths due to Covid-19 stood at nine, with four people having died in hospital and five dying elsewhere.

On Saturday, David Ashford announced that three people had died from a nursing home, one of whom died in hospital.

He confirmed Abbotswood was the only island care home to have a cluster of cases. Last week DHSC took over the running of the home.

When asked about the latest deaths in the community, the Minister said: ’Tragically all three I believe are from Abbotswood.’

He added: ’The issue with community deaths is that there is a lead in time before we can report them.

’We’ve got their data so hospital deaths are reported quite quickly. With community, we have to go through a process with the coroner of establishing deaths.’

He said: ’Although the licence is suspended they [Abbotswood Nursing Home] are still the licensee. They are still effectively the operator.

’Unfortunately with this dreadful disease, we know what effect it has... on the vulnerable and elderly.’

The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus stands at 300. A total of 276 patients have been instructed to self-isolate with 15 being treated at hospital.

There have been 2,417 concluded tests and 92 people are awaiting results.