Covid in Scotland: Two residents die in Stranraer care home outbreak
- Published
An outbreak was confirmed at the site in Stranraer last week
Two residents have died in a Covid outbreak at a care home in the south west of Scotland.
Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership (DGHSCP) confirmed cases at the Belmont site in Stranraer last week.
It said two residents had died in the past seven days where Covid was recorded as being present.
DGHSCP said it was working with St Philips Care to ensure all plans were in place to deal with the outbreak.
Visiting was suspended at the home last week and new admissions stopped after cases of Covid were confirmed.
A spokesman for the operators said it had taken immediate action and implemented increased testing and an "ongoing decontamination schedule".
'Difficult situation'
It said it would work closely with the public health teams to deal with the situation.
DGHSCP said its thoughts were with families and staff at the care home during a "difficult time".
There are currently 12 cases among workers and residents at the site.
A DGHSCP spokesman said: "The operator of this care home has been faced with a challenging and very difficult situation, but full credit is due to them and their very dedicated staff for the responses that have been mounted.
"Covid-19 is very highly infectious, which means that containing its spread is not easy - even when it is being met with all the correct protocols, including regular testing and vaccinations.
"The coronavirus can result in mild symptoms, and sometimes none at all, and this can mask its spread to more vulnerable individuals where it can pose a high degree of risk."
