Hundreds of families prepare for another tough Christmas as care home visits are restricted
Residents are only allowed three people who can visit regularly, to try to protect them from the Omicron variant
Another difficult Christmas lies ahead for families whose loved ones are living in a care home.
Only 3 people can visit regularly this Christmas, to try to protect them from the Omicron variant.
An essential caregiver will also be allowed to visit with them.
The government said it is changing the rules for care home visits "to balance the current COVID-19 risk and the need to keep people safe in line with clinical advice".
Staff testing will also be increased from two lateral flow tests per week to three, as well as a weekly PCR test.
Cllr Josh Fenton-Glynn, Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Wellbeing at Calderdale Council said:
"It's really hard and absolutely no one, wants to see families not get together at Christmas.
"But, our first responsibility is to make sure we are keeping our residents safe, so that means we have to find a balance.
"I know it's going to really disappoint some families."
The council has been supporting the roll out of booster jabs to care home residents and staff.
In Calderdale, only 14 staff left when the vaccine was made mandatory.
Cllr Fenton-Glynn continued:
"By the end of the first week in November we visited all our cares home, and 78% of residents have now had their boosters.
"We will keep going through care homes. There's a number of reasons people can't have their boosters when we visit; if they've had covid in the past month, if they've had there jab within the last 3 months."