Care home restrictions eased as isolation cut and more visitors allowed

Care home restrictions in Scotland are being eased, with self-isolation times reduced or removed.

Social care minister Kevin Stewart announced that patients being transferred from hospital will no longer have to isolate for two weeks if they test negative for Covid-19 before arriving at the care home.

The isolation period for infected care home residents is also being cut from 14 days to 10, while the limit on the number of households able to visit has been lifted.

Under the changes, isolation requirements have been removed where residents are taken to hospital overnight for acute treatment, provided there is no clinical reason to suspect they may have coronavirus.

Care home operators were informed of the new guidance on Wednesday evening, according to the Scottish Government, and can implement the changes immediately.

Mr Stewart said: “We know isolating for longer time periods can be distressing and harmful for care home residents and for their loved ones.

“Reducing the length of time care home residents have to isolate if they catch Covid, or are identified as close contacts, reflects the ongoing risks facing people who live communally in a homely environment with other care home residents, many of whom have long-term conditions.

“It is also crucial that care homes continue to support indoor visiting.

“Yesterday the First Minister advised the lifting of guidance limiting the number of households meeting indoors. However, she stressed that it would be sensible for people to remain cautious in their social interactions for the time being.

“We therefore recommend that there should be no set limits to the number of households visiting each resident, care homes will determine group sizes and numbers taking into account the size of the visiting area and other factors.

“As before there should be no restrictions placed on frequency and duration of visiting, which will be guided by care home arrangements and circumstances.”

Following the First Minister’s coronavirus statement on Tuesday that removed many measures introduced to tackle the Omicron outbreak, Scottish Labour’s Monica Lennon questioned why the isolation restrictions in care homes had not been mentioned.

Calling for isolation to be cut from the 14 days required of residents under the previous guidance, Ms Lennon said: “Many of them fear that they are being forgotten as the rest of us move on.

“Some families from Care Home Relatives Scotland describe their loved ones as having no visitors nor freedom and, worst of all, no hope.”

Ms Sturgeon replied: “Our overriding priority throughout the pandemic – although decisions of course, understandably, have been subject to questioning and criticism – but our overriding priority has been to safeguard and protect residents and staff in care homes.

“At times during this pandemic, these have been some of the most difficult decisions with some of the most challenging and difficult outcomes.

“But it remains really important that we take very, very careful decisions here given the frailty and vulnerability of the people that we are discussing.

“The measures that are currently in place do ensure that loved ones can have contact with residents while balancing the Covid risk and the need to keep people safe in line with clinical and public health advice.”