Covid-19: Outbreak at Guernsey care home

Residents of a Guernsey care home have been moved to hospital while staff are self-isolating after four positive Covid-19 tests.

Two residents and two staff at La Grande Lande, St Saviour have tested positive, the States of Guernsey said.

All 11 residents are being cared for in hospital as the care home is unable to cover the self-isolating staff.

None of the residents or staff with the virus require hospital treatment for symptoms, the States emphasised.

Cases in the bailiwick have risen to 361, with 17 new infections identified on Thursday.

All of these were found through contact tracing, with no new cases of an unknown source found in the community.

Six people are currently being treated in the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

Dr Peter Rabey, States medical director, said both residents who have tested positive received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine about three weeks ago, which should "offer a good deal of protection" from developing severe symptoms.

The remaining nine residents will be put into isolation on separate hospital wards as contacts of positive cases, with daily testing to "keep a close eye on them"

"The important thing is they are being kept safe and looked after throughout this," Dr Rabey added.

Peter Ferbrache, chairman of the Civil Contingencies Authority (CCA), confirmed there were no plans to relax lockdown restrictions due to the continuing risk of community transmission.

Deputy Ferbrache said: "That doesn't mean we're going to be in the same position in two weeks that we are now, we're hoping the worst is behind us."

He added the cases being found were "under control and being well managed" and a review is expected next week.

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