Coronavirus outbreak at Scottish care home kills residents

‘Other residents who have tested positive are isolating and further tests are being carried out on both staff and residents within the care home’

Scottish care home (Getty Images)

A “number” of care home residents have died because of a coronavirus outbreak in Scotland, it has been reported. Details of the victims have yet to be released. 

The outbreak is being managed by NHS Forth Valley and Care UK, which owns the Caledonian Court care home in Larbert.

NHS Forth Valley released a statement saying: “All appropriate support measures have been taken and strict infection control measures are in place.”

Dr Jennifer Champion, NHS Forth Valley’s Consultant in Public Health Medicine, offered her “deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones in these sad circumstances”.

Dr Champion added: "The safety of residents is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor the situation.

"Other residents who have tested positive are isolating and further tests are being carried out on both staff and residents within the care home.”

This comes as Scotland has announced that both care home residents and staff will face daily temperature checks in a move to fight the virus. 

In the first wave of the virus, almost half the total deaths in Scotland happened in care homes.

The Scottish Government have said they will spend an extra £112 million to prepare care homes to deal with Covid-19 this winter. They are also set to to review the way staff are currently being tested care homes.

Elizabeth McKeegan, Care UK’s Regional Director, added: “We would like to send our condolences to the families and friends of residents who have passed away over the past few days.

The Care UK said that they had provided the care home with additional support, sufficient PPE and deep cleaning measures. 

Signage is seen outside the NHS Nightingale Hospital (AFP via Getty Images)

A  report from Public Health Scotland last week disclosed that 112 known-positive hospital patients were moved to care homes at the very start of the pandemic, before more rigorous testing procedures were brought in.