Government Plan to Drop COVID Restrictions Could Put Care Home Residents at Risk says Care Home Operator

The government’s plans to drop all COVID restrictions – including the legal duty to isolate after a positive test result – on February 24 could put care home residents at unnecessary increased risk of infection, the chair of a specialist care home group has warned.

Neil Russell, chair of PJ Care, which runs three specialist care centres for people with a range of neurological conditions, including acquired brain injury, dementia and Huntington’s Disease, says that the government’s decision has come too early.

“Unless there is a massive downturn in the daily number of new cases I would feel very uncomfortable allowing staff to come into work untested, or even worse with a positive test result,” he says.

“While we will have to wait and see what the guidance for care homes changes to, and this will most likely be released several weeks after any change takes effect for the rest of the population, I feel we would be putting our residents at unnecessary increased risk by taking this action now with so many new cases still in circulation.

“At PJ Care, we will continue to take every available measure to keep our residents safe for as long as necessary.”