Jewish Care limits visits and cancels large events

Jewish Care has drastically limited visits to its 10 care homes nationwide and cancelled large events to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The charity has implemented the changes to protect its residents “who due to their age and other conditions may be most at risk”.

It is “limiting visits to care homes to small groups of relatives of no more than five people at any onetime, essential staff and volunteers” and “asking people who feel unwell not to visit”.

It has also appealed to potential visitors who have returned from countries including China, Italy, Japan and South Korea to “not visit any Jewish Care resource for two weeks”.

Further guidance includes “people avoiding bringing young children to homes” as well as introducing an “enhanced sign in policy for all visitors, staff and volunteers”, who will need to answer a series of questions.

A spokesperson for the charity added: “Contingency and response plans are in place for various scenarios which may occur as a result of coronavirus impacting the UK more widely. Jewish Care is regularly reviewing the situation, and our directorate team is now convening every 48 hours to review the situation, along with our measures and plans.

Chief executive Daniel Carmel-Brown said: “We have taken a number of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus and issued communications with advice on prevention to all staff, volunteers, residents and members across our services. Our communications have been and will continue to be based on advice from Public Health England and the UK Government, with attention given to the nature of our work with older people who may be at higher risk of being affected by an outbreak. Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of those in our care, and we will continue to do all we can to help prevent any outbreak or spread of the virus.”

Meanwhile, special needs charity Kisharon has written to parents and staff outlining its response to the virus.

A weekly meeting will take place with senior managers and directors to address the issue, while an operational plan has been put in place in case of an outbreak at one of its sites.

Kisharon added: “Proactive steps are being taken in relation to cleaning requirements, working arrangements. and procurement of food and medical supplies. Appropriate measures to attempt to mitigate the likely impact on voluntary income are also being enacted.”