There have been no new Coronavirus cases in care homes since the end of May.
The Isle of Wight Council confirmed, through the hard work of the care sector, no new Covid-19 cases had been registered in care homes since 24th May.
At one stage of the pandemic, Coronavirus was present in more a third of care homes on the Island, but the spread has now been brought under control.
Metcalfe: Huge credit to out independent care sector
Speaking at the Isle of Wight Council’s corporate scrutiny committee, John Metcalfe, the council’s chief executive, said it is a genuine all-round effort from everybody in the sector, working hard and sharing experiences.
He said:
“We have to give huge credit to out independent care sector, to our own adult services and colleagues in the Clinical Commissioning Group and the NHS Trust.
“In a way, I would like to say I am not surprised – our care home management plan, we had to submit to Government, had some really positive feedback about the fact it was championing best practice. Therefore we are starting to see the results of that work.
“We still have a long way to go and my big worry is that people are thinking the crisis is over but we still do not know what is going to happen, from the 4th of July opening and as people start to circulate more.”
Mosdell: Thanks go out across the whole sector
Cabinet member for adult social care, Cllr Clare Mosdell, said:
“We have worked together really well and my thanks go out across the whole sector.”
Latest stats
The number of people who have died due to Covid-19 in care homes is the same as those who have died in hospital — 39.
As reported by News OnTheWight last week, figures released in council papers for June’s meeting of the corporate scrutiny committee showed there had been 178 positive cases of Covid-19 in care homes between March and 14th May.
With the recent reveal of ‘Pillar 2’ data — positive tests from test-at-home kits, at drive-through centres and in whole care home testing — last week, it is suggested that more than 40 per cent of the Island’s entire coronavirus cases happened in care homes.
The daily update shows there had been 422 confirmed cases of Covid-19 on the Island — meaning the 178 cases in care home equates to 42 per cent of the total Island’s figure.
Challenging environment
The care home environment has been one of the most challenging places to battle the spread of Covid-19, with older residents in close proximity – who are more likely to be at risk of the disease – and carers coming to see individual patients so some establishments have been in a lockdown bubble of its own.
A report has been commissioned by the Government to collect information from staff, residents and each care home setting to help understand the impact of coronavirus in that specific environment.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
Image: brian_tomlinson under CC BY 2.0
