Staff devastated as 15 residents of the same nursing home die in the space of a month
Staff at a nursing home in Newport have been left devastated following thedeaths of 15 residents in the space of a month.
Fourteen of the elderly residents at Tregwilym Lodge in Rogerstone were showing symptoms of coronavirus before they died, although tests have not been carried out.
General manager Karen Healey, who has been a nurse for 40 years, said normally one resident might die each month. She described what has happened as "a catastrophic loss."
"These residents have been with us from 6 months to 4 years on average", Ms Healey told ITV Wales.
"We know their families incredibly well... Staff have found it incredibly hard. The staff have had to go above and beyond and dig really deep."
Ms Healey said of the home's 130 staff, 25 have reported symptoms or had to self isolate, and five have tested positive for the virus.
The nursing home is in the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board area, where a total of 1,885 cases of the virus have been reported so far.
Tests had not previously been available for care home staff in Wales but the Chief Medical Officer announced on Thursday that all care home residents with symptoms should be tested. Care home residents returning from hospital are now being routinely tested too.
Ms Healey said testing for care workers "should have happened a long time ago."
From next week critical workers in Wales who have coronavirus symptomswill be able to book a Covid-19 test online. People will be able tochoose between going to a drive-in test centre or having a hometesting kit.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The current policy is that all symptomatic care home residents are tested within the care home setting.
"All symptomatic care home workers (and symptomatic members of their household) should be referred for testing by their employer. All care home residents returning from hospital are now routinely tested too. Together with other measures and precautions, current evidence shows this is the best way to stop the spread of the virus and keep residents and staff safe.”