A decision to recommend care homes stop accepting visitors to help prevent the spread of coronavirus was “not taken lightly”, the county’s public health chief said, adding that there was a “backlash”.

Sarah Scott, director of public health at Gloucestershire County Council, told a council meeting last week that there are “no easy choices” during the pandemic and that she “really feels for the families and residents that have not had visits”.

She said there are currently 90 positive cases among staff and 64 among residents across 13 different care homes in the county.

New advice for friends and relatives of care home residents visiting them during the second national lockdown has been issued with further information coming out tomorrow.

This could include a maximum of two consistent visitors, staggered arrival times and “physical Covid secure measures”, such as screens.

In a letter sent to care homes, and the families and friends of residents today, Ms Scott outlined the new guidance for care home visiting – and said that “a number” of Covid-19 coronavirus cases are linked to care home staff and residents.

“We know that it has been a difficult and distressing time not being able to see your friends and family, and I want to assure you that we take no pleasure in restricting visiting and nor do we have any intention to keep you from seeing those you care and love for a moment longer than is necessary,” the letter said.

“In light of new national guidance being issued on Thursday November 5, it was important that we had the chance to review the new national guidance associated with care home visiting, to ensure plans we had developed complemented the national position.

“We have now sent our revised guidance and advice to care home managers setting out some general principles which will allow more care home visiting to take place and a check list to help them to evaluate the risks associated with their home, their residents and their visitors.”

Ms Scott said in the council meeting that the county council has applied to be a pilot of some rapid testing technologies.

Speaking in the adult social care and communities scrutiny committee last Tuesday (November 10), she said: “In light of rising numbers of cases in care home staff and residents. This received some I suppose a backlash is the best word to describe it.

“There is a real balance to be struck between balancing the risk of infection to the vulnerable residents in our care homes and the loneliness and isolation they face when they do not have their regular visitors, and the impact that has on their physical and mental wellbeing.

“What I would reflect is there are no easy choices. This decision to recommend people stop care home visiting was not one that was made lightly, and I do really, really feel for the families and residents that have not had visits.

“I am still really mindful that the cases of Covid in care home staff and care home residents are rising. We have got cases in 90 staff at the moment and 64 residents in 13 different care homes. It is going up every week. We did see a disproportionate number of deaths in our care homes in the first wave.

“But we have had some really helpful guidance from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) and we have had some further guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care.

“The work we started to produce some local guidance for care homes to allow covid-safe visiting was then revised in light of the ADASS and DHSC guidance. We have since shared that with our Gloucestershire Care Providers Association for comment and our other main supplier of care homes, The Order of St Johns.

“We have amended it in light of their feedback, and that will be issued to care homes.”

The letter sent to care home staff, residents and families said that “an overview of the new plan” will made available the council’s website by the end of tomorrow, Wednesday November 11.

It added that the current rate of infection in Gloucestershire is at 125.7 per 100,000 population “and rising”.

The council’s website current “visiting guidance” reads: “We have now sent our revised guidance and advice to care home managers, setting out some general principles which will allow more care home visiting to take place and a checklist to help them to evaluate the risks associated with their home, their residents and their visitors.”