The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Home is closed to visitors for 28 days
A Perthshire care home is closed to visitors for 28 days after it was confirmed the pensioner who died from Covid-19 this week had been one of its residents.
Parkdale Care Home in Auchterarder has shut following the death of resident Barrie Thom, 93.
The council-run centre has now tested all other residents and staff. Anyone who tests positive or develops symptoms will be required to self-isolate as health bodies continue to monitor the situation.
Mrs Thom was also a patient at St Margaret’s Community Hospital in Auchterarder, which was closed to new admissions last Thursday when Parkdale also closed to visitors.
A Perth and Kinross Health and Social Care Partnership spokesperson said: “Following the confirmation one resident had contracted coronavirus, all other residents and staff were tested and, in line with national guidance, all visits to Parkdale have been suspended for 28 days.”
They added: “We would like to reassure residents, their relatives and colleagues that we are taking every possible step to protect them and prevent any further spread of the virus.”
The spokesperson said staff at Parkdale were working in partnership with NHS Tayside, Public Health Scotland, and Perth and Kinross Council and the situation was being monitored with assistance from the NHS health protection team.
“The multi-agency group has assessed the infection and prevention control plans that are in place in the care home, and they have confidence in the stringent measures we have introduced to control the spread of coronavirus,” they added.
NHS Tayside has announced it will reopen St Margaret’s hospital today to new admissions. It said the temporary ban had been due to a single case of Covid-19 at the site.
Visiting at the 10-bed hospital will also be reintroduced from today.