Coronavirus: Care homes set to trial testing of visitors

New scheme, which involves PCR testing, is designed to allay the fears of care providers who have been vigilant in trying to keep the highly-contagious virus out of homes

Residents and care workers at Churchview Nursing Home in Liverpool watch a video of this year's christmas lights switch on in Liverpool city centre. (PA)

A pilot project to test selected visitors to care homes for coronavirus will start on Monday, Downing Street confirmed today.

The new scheme, which will be trialled in 30 homes, is designed to allow people to see their loved ones.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "Our priority is protecting care home staff and residents, but we do know just how important it is to let residents safely meet their loved ones.

"From Monday we are launching testing pilots across 30 care homes. That will be using various PCR tests and the new lateral flow tests to allow specific families and friends to undertake indoor visits to residents."

It has not yet been confirmed which 30 homes will be chosen for the new pilot project.

The launch of the care-home pilot will be welcome news to some families who have not seen loved ones for months due to lockdown.

Care homes have been restricting visitor access due to fears that visitors could spread Covid-19 to vulnerable elderly people.

The new scheme, which involves PCR testing, is designed to allay the fears of care providers who have been vigilant in trying to keep the highly-contagious virus out of homes.

It comes as the R value — the reproduction number for coronavirus — is dropping across the UK and is potentially below one in some areas, according to scientists.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), which advises the Government, said the R for the UK stood at 1-1.2, with its current prediction representing the situation over the last few weeks.

Experts believe the R value is below one in some places, particularly in parts of Wales and potentially parts of Scotland and the north west of England.

It is hoped that R will drop in more places next week or the week after, as people remain under lockdown restrictions.

If the R value is above one then the Covid-19 epidemic continues to grow, but if it is below one it shows the outbreak is in retreat.

For the past few weeks, Sage has put the R value at between 1.1 and 1.3.