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Residents of nursing homes in England will be able to hold hands with a designated visitor from March 8, the government announced.
Those within the facilities may have a person who can come to see them regularly, and although holding hands will be allowed, they will not be able to hug or kiss.
Is he first part of the prime minister’s “roadmap” to alleviate the coronavirus lock to be announced.
Visitors must perform a lateral flow test before entering the home and must wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
Restrictions have been applied while the country has been under a national blockade.
Has been concerns about using lateral flow tests for so-called “green lights”, as has been argued, they trade speed for precision.
More guidance is expected to be released in the coming days.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed it as a “first step to getting back to where we want to be.”
It’s the first step on Boris Johnson’s ‘roadmap’ out of the lockdown
Professor Deborah Sturdy, Senior Social Care Nurse for Adults, said: “I know how many people want to visit, hug and kiss their loved ones, but doing so can put lives at risk, so we ask people to follow the rules “.
“This is a first step towards resuming internal visits and we all look forward to taking more steps in the future.
“I am happy that so many people are following the rules, we are in a position to increase visits and I hope this is just the beginning.”
The current plan has been designed in collaboration with the Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Public Health England.
The government reached its goal of offering a vaccine to all nursing home residents by February 15.
Visits that take place outdoors, in capsules or through screens will continue according to the published guide.
The government met its goal of offering a vaccine to all nursing home residents, as well as social care and NHS staff, by February 15.
Vaccination is not mandatory and will not be necessary for visitors.
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Vaccine offered to all nursing homes in England
Nursing homes may exercise their discretion as to whether more people are allowed to visit under exceptional circumstances, although the named person cannot change.
Visits will be suspended during local closures at nursing homes.
Mr. Hancock said, “I know how important it is to visit a loved one and I am pleased that we will soon be able to safely and safely reunite with loved ones living in nursing homes.”
“This is just the first step to getting back to where we want to be. We need to make sure we keep the infection rate low, to allow for more step-by-step visits in the future.”
Care Minister Helen Whately added: “One of the hardest things during this pandemic has been seeing families desperate to be reunited with their separated loved ones and I want to bring them back together.
“Throughout this pandemic, we have sought clinical guidance on how visits can be done safely.
“We had to restrict most of the viewing when the new variant was discovered, but we have done our best to allow the viewing to continue in some way. That includes providing funding for the costs of displays and PPE.
“As we begin to open up, we will move step by step to increase visits while remembering that we are still in the grip of a global pandemic.”
Shadow Health and Social Care Minister Liz Kendall said: “For the past seven months, with the backing of the Labor Party and charities, families have been calling for home visiting to start over and be treated like workers. key with access to all PPE and need.
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‘Inhumane’ to prevent home care visits
“During this period, ministers have repeatedly failed to understand how important families are to the physical and mental health of nursing home residents and the appalling impact that prevention of visitation has caused.
“Never again should families be denied the right to visit loved ones in nursing homes. To be confident that things will really change, we need legislation that enshrines the rights of residents to visitation and ends visitation. scandal of the general prohibitions of visits “.
