From Monday 17th May, care home residents in England will be able to name up to five regular visitors, and will no longer have to self-isolate for 14 days after leaving the home to attend medical appointments.
Making the announcement Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We will increase the number of named visitors for those in care homes from two to five, and residents will have greater freedoms to leave their home without having to isolate on their return.”
Current guidelines only allow for two named regular visitors but as part of the national easing of lockdown restrictions this was increased to five. Cabinet Office still requires a care home resident to have a maximum of two visitors at any one time.
Residents currently having to make visits to hospitals as outpatients, their GP, dentists and day centres will also no longer have the requirement to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to the care home, unless the visit has included an overnight stay in which case the self-isolation period will remain.
Minister for Care Helen Whately said: “The new guidance allows more family and friends to reunite and reduces the need to self-isolate, which I know many have found incredibly challenging.
“As we turn the tide on this cruel virus I want to make visiting as normal as possible by the summer, and this is an important step on that path.”
