182 people in Mayo died having contracted Covid 19 since the start of the pandemic.

That figure was confirmed this afternoon by the CEO of the Saolta Group Tony Canavan at a virtual HSE West Forum meeting.

Mr Canavan was responding to a question submitted to the forum by Mayo independent councillor Michael Kilcoyne.

Cllr Kilcoyne had sought information on the number of people who died with the virus at Mayo University Hospital since the pandemic began and how many of them had tested negative for the virus on admission to the hospital and later contracted it while a patient at the facility.

However, Mr Canavan said that specific information is not available.

He explained that the determination of the cause of death of any individual person is complex. He also admitted that patients had been admitted with a negative Covid test reading and later tested positive while still in the hospital, but he has no exact figure on these cases.