Covid in Scotland: Self-isolation rules eased for care home residents

People admitted to adult care homes will no longer have to self-isolate if they have a negative PCR test and are not showing Covid symptoms.

The Scottish government has issued new guidelines to care home operators on patients transferring from hospitals.

It says, to avoid isolation, people must not have been exposed to coronavirus in the previous 14 days.

The isolation period for residents testing positive - and close contacts - is also being cut from 14 days to 10.

Previously, residents automatically had to self-isolate for two weeks after a hospital transfer.

The Scottish government said the moves would bring restrictions closer to those for the general public.

The change brought Scotland into line with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had said self-isolation rules were being changed in a bid to ease staff shortages in key sectors.

High levels of vaccination

The new measures recognised the high levels of vaccination in care homes, according to the Scottish government.

They also "balance the risk of infection against the potential harms caused to residents by long periods self-isolating".

Announcing the moves, Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart also said it was "crucial" that care homes continued to support indoor visiting.

He added: "We recommend that there should be no set limits to the number of households visiting each resident.

"Care homes will determine group sizes and numbers taking into account the size of the visiting area and other factors.

"As before, there should be no restrictions placed on frequency and duration of visiting which will guided by care home arrangements and circumstances."

Following the first minister's coronavirus statement on Tuesday, Scottish Labour's Monica Lennon questioned why the isolation restrictions in care homes had not been mentioned.

Ms Lennon said: "Many (residents) fear that they are being forgotten as the rest of us move on.

"Some families from Care Home Relatives Scotland describe their loved ones as having no visitors nor freedom and, worst of all, no hope."

All remaining Covid rules in England could be lifted on 24 February – but in Scotland restrictions are set to be in place for much longer Nicola Sturgeon is due to publish her plan for living with Covid only two days before all rules in England could be scrapped .

Covid rules in Scotland and England are set to diverge dramatically in a fortnight’s time after Boris Johnson announced that all restrictions south of the border will be removed.

The Prime Minister said he expected all remaining coronavirus rules in England, including the legal rule for people to self-isolate if they test positive, to be lifted on 24 February.

This is only two days after Nicola Sturgeon is planning to publish the Scottish Government’s strategy for dealing with Covid in the months ahead, which is very unlikely to go this far.