Care home visits banned in Caerphilly after rise in coronavirus cases

Care homes in Caerphilly will no longer be able to have any visitors after a rise in coronavirus cases in the county.

The council said it had made the difficult decision to end visits with immediate effect.

Public Health Wales has said it's concerned about rising numbers of positive Covid tests in the area and is encouraging people to maintain social distancing. 56 cases have been reported by Public Health Wales in Caerphilly in the last week.

Cllr Carl Cuss, CCBC’s Cabinet Member for Social Services said: “This decision was not taken lightly, especially given that Welsh Government has only recently relaxed some of the restrictions around care home visits. However, we must put the health and wellbeing of our elderly and vulnerable residents first and I’m sure families will understand the pressing need to take this action.” 

“I fully appreciate that care home residents and their families will be very disappointed with this decision, but I would like to assure all concerned that the decision was taken in the best interest of protecting their health.”

In addition to restrictions, there will be a temporary return to weekly testing at each care home. The situation will be kept under review over the coming weeks.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said the rise in cases shows how quickly things can change if people don't keep their distance. Caerphilly currently has the highest number of cases in Wales.

The cluster of coronavirus cases emerging in Caerphilly is being managed by Public Health Wales, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Caerphilly County Borough Council.

On Friday 4 September, new quarantine rules were issued for passengers arriving at Cardiff Airport. The changes mean people returning from Portugal and six Greek islands must self-isolate for 14 days.