Coronavirus: Council bans care home visits and shuts recycling centres

HAMPSHIRE County Council has banned visits to care homes and shut its household waste recycling centres to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

People will only be allowed in for emergencies at care facilities run by the authority, which promised to help keep them in touch with their relatives.

The ban includes the Cranleigh Paddock specialist dementia home in Lyndhurst, Bickerley Green nursing and residential home in Ringwood, and Forest Court nursing home in Calmore.

HCC said it would notify all residents, families and carers of the change in policy.

HCC cabinet member for adult social care and health, Cllr Liz Fairhurst, said: “This has not been an easy decision to make.

“But it is our absolute priority to ensure that vulnerable individuals, who are supported in care homes managed by the county council, are kept as safe as possible from any potential spread of coronavirus.

“While we recognise that contact with families is extremely important to the wellbeing of those for whom we care, we want to do everything we can to protect our elderly and vulnerable residents.

“With immediate effect, all our county council-managed care homes have temporarily closed their doors to visitors.”

She added: “Going forward, we will be doing everything we can to support our residents to stay in touch with their families and loved ones via phone calls, video calls, instant messaging or letters.”

Hampshire’s household waste recycling centres have also being shut completely after the Prime Minister announced the national shutdown on Monday night.

It follows restrictions briefly being brought in after a huge increase in the number of people visiting the centres over the weekend.

The council said 29,000 people used the sites on Saturday and Sunday, compared to 22,000 on their busiest Easter bank holiday weekends. In the New Forest they include Efford at Lymington; Somerley at Ringwood; and Marchwood.

BCP Council has done the same thing, shutting the centre in Wilverley Road, Christchurch.

For the latest coronavirus advice go to www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/.