Care home visiting restrictions ease today
Care home residents are allowed unlimited visitors from today
Today, the limits on visitors in care homes has been lifted, as restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the Omicron COVID variant in adult social care are eased.
Data shows 86.5% of care home residents have had their booster jab.
Care home residents are now allowed to have unlimited visitors.
Self-isolation periods have been cut from 14 days to 10 for those who test positive.
Care homes will have to follow 'outbreak' rules for 14, rather than 28, days.
On the 16th February, care workers will be asked to take lateral flow tests before their shifts, instead of the current system of weekly PCR tests.
"It doesn't mean relatives can assume to just walk in, because a number of care home are still closed due to having outbreaks."
But, the move doesn't mean everyone can start visiting loved ones, as many homes are dealing with covid outbreaks.
Graeme Lee is the CEO of Springfield Healthcare, who have homes in Leeds and Ilkley, he said:
"We've obviously got a myriad of rules and regulations put on us, which change regularly, so yes it's great news, but it doesn't mean relatives can assume to just walk in, because a number of care home are still closed due to having outbreaks.
"We'll manage it, it's vitally important to the residents wellbeing that they get visits, but we just urge that the public appreciate the challenges that care homes have around them."
He's encouraging relatives to speak to care homes, before visiting:
"We've got to ask the relatives to work with the care homes, I'm speaking on behalf of all care homes, we can book visits, if you ring in advance, just so care homes can plan, they can make provision, they can understand how many visitors may come."
"I can't even visit my mum in the garden, we can't sit outside in the fresh air and have a visit, I can't take her for a walk round the garden."
Bruce Cutts is from Hebden Bridge, his mums care home has had a covid outbreak since before Christmas, he said:
He said:
"They had an outbreak on the 23rd of December, and since then the home has been under virtual lockdown, with every week or so, a new member of staff testing positive.
"Under these new 14 day rolling lockdowns, I can't even visit my mum in the garden, we can't sit outside in the fresh air and have a visit, I can't take her for a walk round the garden, because its against the rules."
He says the solution to this is simple:
"If I want to take mum out, to come to our house for a Sunday dinner for example, I do a lateral flow test before I go and get her, she does a lateral flow test before she leaves the home, and then when I take her back in the evening she does a lateral flow test and another in the morning, job done.
"It's inhumane, while the rest of society is going out to nightclubs, going to pubs, going out for pubs, the people who need to enjoy the last bit of their life are being locked in over heated rooms, confused about what they've done wrong."