ALL visits to care homes in Solihull will be suspended from today (September 8) as concern grows about rising coronavirus cases.
The borough council says visitors are not allowed to enter care homes ‘with immediate effect’ to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
A spokeswoman for Solihull Council said: “We will work with homes to make sure that safe visiting can take place in exceptional circumstances on compassionate grounds.
“Since the start of September, there have been 115 cases of Covid-19 in Solihull, compared to a total of 84 cases across the whole of August. This rapid acceleration has increased local rates from an average of between 7 and 10 in August to 53.4 by September 5.
“The sharp increase has not been driven by a single factor and is not concentrated in a single location. There have been higher rates in the western areas of the borough, but 13 out of our 17 wards now have rates above 20 per 100,000.
“We are working closely with the local NHS including University Hospitals Birmingham, who are also seeing rises in hospital admissions and new cases, although these are well below what was seen at the peak of the pandemic.
“This is all a very significant concern for Solihull, and rapid collective action is needed to reverse this upward trend, fast, particularly as we work hard to support the important return back to school and college.”
Solihull Council’s Chief Executive, Nick Page, said: “We have done really well to date in controlling Covid-19 in Solihull. However, we now need to increase our efforts. Too many people are not following the guidance and worryingly some seem to consider the pandemic is over. It is clear to us in Solihull that this is not the case.”
The Director of Public Health for Solihull, Ruth Tennant, said: “The rapid and steep increase in Covid-19 cases we have seen in a short period of time is a real cause for concern and it will need a very rapid collective effort from everyone to turn this around fast.
“Wherever you live please do your bit. Reduce your social contacts, keep your distance and do the right thing for yourself and other people who may be more vulnerable than you are.
“This hasn’t gone away. We really want to avoid a new very restrictive lockdown that could affect jobs and businesses. And in the critical run up to winter flu season, we must do everything we can to keep the number of cases low.
“Having spoken to people who have had Covid-19, I’ve heard first-hand stories of how hard this can hit, even people who don’t need hospital care. Some people may be fortunate to get a very mild case – and we know this is the case for school age children – but for others this can be life-threatening.”
