Care home visiting is suspended in North and South Uist

Visiting restrictions have been put in place in a bid to prevent Covid-19 from entering care homes.

The Comhairle says this will be reviewed on a weekly basis with visiting being reinstated at the earliest opportunity.

For Barra, Harris and Lewis, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is reverting to having a single, dedicated visitor for each resident across its care homes.

This is a precautionary measure. Although there is no evidence of sustained transmission across these three areas, the Comhairle says it wants to ensure it strikes the right balance of protecting residents from the potential risk of Covid-19 entering the care home whilst also allowing residents to retain critical family and social connections.

This arrangement will be reviewed as and when circumstances dictate, such as it is evident that the transmission rate is increasing or there is no evident transmission.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has thanked residents and families for their support and patience.