A MAN who’s mother has been quarantined at MHA Ty Gwyn Care Home has called for urgent testing to take place after a patient was diagnosed with the Coronavirus there earlier this week.
This paper revealed on Monday that a patient in the care home had tested positive for the virus - making it the first known case in Penarth.
The home has restricted visitors but one relative wants Public Health Wales to conduct testing on residents and staff.
A spokeswoman for care home said: “As with all cases of viral outbreaks, we have restricted the home to visitors to minimise the impact on our residents and those caring for them.
“Wherever possible, visits by health personnel will be maintained.
“MHA’s senior leadership team has been meeting regularly since the outbreak of Coronavirus with constant liaison with the relevant external health authorities.
“Being one of the largest care providers in the country we have in place robust practices and systems to handle situations like this and will continue to actively monitor and manage this situation.”
Gary Tucknott tried to visit his 70 year old mother who resides at the care home, but was stopped from entering by the staff who were wearing masks.
Gary said that he and is mother had experiences symptoms of the virus several weeks ago.
He urged Public Health Wales to conduct testing on residents and staff at the care home as soon as possible, as several others are probably already infected.
“We have no idea who is currently infected, whether that be staff or resident - this is quite unbelievable.”
He expressed concern for his mother, who is bedbound and relies upon him for care.
“I take her out three days a week, and I visit her every day,” he said.
“People are in there not very well and they haven’t got their loved ones with them.”
Some UK scientists are urging stronger measures by the government to trace and contain the virus - including mass testing of the population, especially amongst health workers.
Despite this, the government has said it is prioritising testing for the most extreme cases.
A spokeswoman for Public Health Wales said: “Now that we are in the delay phase of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) incident, the advice is that people are isolated based on symptoms rather than test results.
“To facilitate the management on outbreaks in care homes, limited testing is performed where appropriate.
“If the virus is identified within a care home setting, residents are isolated as far possible from each other and the public.”
As this paper went to print Covid-19 had claimed two lives in Wales and 104 in the UK.
Yesterday saw the biggest single-day jump in cases as the number of people testing positive for the virus reached 2,626.
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