Alert after care home worker tests positive

Management at Raith Manor in Kirkcaldy hopeful of preventing spread to residents

A fourth Fife care home is at the centre of a Covid-19 alert after a staff member tested positive.

Management at the Raith Manor care home in Kirkcaldy are hopeful they have managed to prevent the disease spreading among residents.

The news follows claims that at least 16 residents at Methven House care home in Kirkcaldy have died of suspected Covid-19.

Methven House operator Kingdom Homes, which has 12 homes in the region, has refused to comment on the situation, while Labour MSP Alex Rowley said information on the exact number of cases there had been near impossible to obtain.

Concerns about Covid-19 in Fife’s care homes have been heightened in recent days after it emerged two people had died following 16 positive cases at Scoonie House in Leven, and reports of at least five cases at Earlsferry House in Elie.

Staff at Raith Manor have been praised for their handling of the crisis so far, and it is hoped that measures taken after the staff member’s positive case was identified have been enough to curb any spread.

Alyson Vale, operations and development manager at home operator Abbotsford Care, said: “We have no confirmed cases of Covid-19 within our residents in the care home.

“What I can clarify is that we have had one staff member who tested positive.

“We have taken all necessary precautions to avoid the spread of any infection throughout our home, this includes additional measures to protect against asymptomatic staff.

“Our staff have excelled throughout this crisis and have been very responsible alerting us to any symptoms as soon as they arise.

“We have been able to arrange, with the fantastic support and organisation of Fife testing centres, to get all staff tested and resulted within 24 hours.

“Once again we want to thank our staff for their incredible resilience during this time.

“We are in regular contact with both staff and relatives to inform them fully of any changes within the home.”

The 60-bed purpose-built home is spread over three floors, and each floor has its own communal dining room and lounge with a kitchenette to promote independence in a safe environment.

We have no confirmed cases of Covid-19 within our residents in the care home. ALYSON VALE OF ABBOTSFORD CARE

Staff at Raith Manor care home in Kirkcaldy have been praised for the way they have handled the coronavirus crisis.