Portsmouth care home locked down after first staff member for 50 days tests positive for Covid-19

Visiting at the Shearwater residential care home in Moorings Way, in Milton, has been stopped for 14 days and a test-and-trace process is under way after the staff member tested positive on Thursday.

Since the start of the pandemic a total of 13 members of staff at the council-run home have tested positive for coronavirus, but there had been no new cases for 50 days prior to yesterday.

A Portsmouth City Council spokesman said: 'A member of staff has tested positive for Covid-19 (coronavirus) at Shearwater, a residential care home run by the council.

'Working with Public Health England, the council immediately moved to lock down the premises for 14 days as a precaution. A test-and-trace process is under way.

'Families have been informed and have been offered support. The council is strictly following government and Public Health England infection control guidance in its care and nursing homes, and is working with the NHS to ensure residents have the best possible care.'

It comes after Portsmouth council's health, wellbeing and social care boss, Councillor Matthew Winnington, described the response to the pandemic in city care homes as 'amazing' and condemned Boris Johnson's suggestion that care homes were partly to blame for the number of overall coronavirus deaths.

Portsmouth City Council runs four residential and nursing care homes.

The spokesman added: 'The council is strictly adhering to government Covid-19 guidance for care homes.'

Since the coronavirus pandemic 13 residents of Shearwater care home have died with Covid-19.

And data from the Care Quality Commission shows that since April 10, 38 care home residents have died with coronavirus in Portsmouth.

There have been no Covid-related deaths in city care homes since May 11.

In the Hampshire County Council area there have been 447 coronavirus deaths in care homes between April 10 and July 17 - the highest number in the country.

Figures released on July 23 show that no-one has died from the virus at QA Hospital since June 5. The number of deaths remains at 229.

There are currently 59 residents living at Shearwater and 113 members of staff working there.

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