CARE HOMES LOCKED DOWN AGAIN

Public Health England force closure for at least two weeks after 10 residents test positive for Covid – with just two cases considered an 'outbreak'

By Oliver May

A CARE HOME in Essex has told staff it is locking down for “at least two weeks” after an eighth of its 87 fully jabbed residents tested positive for Covid.

It is understood that all residents and staff have received all four jabs against Covid, with 10 residents returning a positive test.

Under Public Health England guidance, just TWO cases of Covid are considered an “outbreak”, with emergency measures now put in place.

Staff will still be allowed in but freelance workers such as outside entertainment, hairdressers and chiropodists will be banned - meaning yet another hit to their income and reduction of service and human contact for residents.

One source, who did not want to be named, said: “As far as I can tell, none of the residents are ill, or showing any symptoms. Regular staff are allowed to go in and out but, because I’m not regular, I’m not allowed to and will lose more money. It’s a farce.”

It is not yet confirmed whether family members have been told by the care home that they cannot visit for two weeks, but the advice on Public Health England’s website states that at least one visitor at a time should be allowed in the event of what they consider to be an outbreak: “Where visiting is modified during an outbreak of COVID-19 or where a care home resident has confirmed COVID-19, every resident should be enabled to continue to receive one visitor at a time inside the care home.”

The guidance adds: “If an outbreak is suspected, the HPT (or community IPC team, local authority or CCG, according to local protocols) should be informed. A risk assessment should be undertaken with the HPT or other local partner to see if the clinical situation can be considered an outbreak and if outbreak management measures are needed.

TEARS OF A CLOWN: Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock tries to appear emotional during a TV interview in December 2020

“If an outbreak is declared as a result of the risk assessment then measures will be taken. These will include testing and may also include: 

• temporarily stopping or reducing communal activities 

• closure of the home to further admissions 

• restriction of movement of staff providing direct care to avoid ‘seeding’ of outbreaks between different settings

• changes to visiting: some forms of visiting should continue if individual risk assessments are carried out. One visitor at a time per resident should always be able to visit inside the care home

“In specific situations, where the local or national risk assessment indicates that cases may be caused by a variant with vaccine escape potential or other concerns, additional measures may be advised.

“In the event of an outbreak in a residential setting where care is provided (including care homes), outbreak restrictions will be in place for different lengths of time, depending on the characteristics of the home, the outbreak and the results of outbreak testing.”

COMMENT:

News Uncut has chosen not to name the care home in question in order to protect those who have been willing to speak to us.

But it highlights the sheer insanity of disrupting so many more lives when the entire UK was sold the line from the Government that these “safe and effective” jabs were our gateway to freedom.

That freedom, it seems, is just not reserved for the elderly.

If you are a family member of anyone in a care home and have been told you cannot visit due to an "“outbreak”, please get in touch on the email below.