A coronavirus outbreak has been confirmed at a Skye care home with 28 out of 34 residents testing positive for the killer disease.
The virus hotspot was identified at Home Farm independent care home in Portree last week.
Out of the staff at the care home, 26 of the 52 have also tested positive, according to NHS Highland.
Member of parliament for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, Ian Blackford said on Twitter: ‘First and foremost my thoughts are with all those affected, the residents of Home Farm, the staff at home farm as well as all their family members and friends who will of course have worries as to the impact of the virus.’
The virus hotspot was identified at Home Farm independent care home in Portree last week
I can also say that all of the public agencies have responded quickly and efficiently as the outbreak has developed over the course of the last few days.
Testing and contact tracing will be important as we all seek to see the control and eradication of this outbreak on Skye and all of us on the island have our part to play in this.
The NHS had previously put in place testing capabilities in Portree. In addition and to compliment this the army or more specifically 3 Scots will be establishing a mobile facility at Broadford fire station from tomorrow (Monday ) afternoon,’ he added.
Skye Community Response confirmed ‘substantial testing’ was underway to determine the true extent of the virus.
A spokesman for the home said: ‘Caring for our residents and supporting our colleagues is at the heart of what we do, and we are doing everything we can to make sure our residents and colleagues stay safe and well throughout these challenging times.
‘We have a comprehensive coronavirus contingency plan in place, which was created by our clinical director and reflects the latest Government guidance.
‘We are working closely with our local health and care partners and we have all the medical equipment, PPE (personal protective equipment) and supplies we need to protect residents and colleagues.
‘We are proud of our colleagues and how they have risen to the challenge of the coronavirus outbreak by showing huge dedication and commitment to our residents.
‘We are providing round-the-clock support for all our teams, and we are also grateful to relatives for their ongoing support and understanding.’
The outbreak comes as a report states coronavirus deaths in care homes aren’t inevitable amid fears the killer virus has claimed the lives of thousands of Britain’s most vulnerable.
Researchers at the London School of Economics have highlighted exactly where the UK has fallen short of protecting some 400,000 care home residents and staff.
Member of parliament for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, Ian Blackford said: ‘Testing and contact tracing will be important as we all seek to see the control and eradication of this outbreak on Skye and all of us on the island have our part to play in this’
In a comparison to other countries, the Government have followed a reactive response to outbreaks rather than preventing infection for the outset.
Tests have been limited to just six per nursing home for some residents showing symptoms, forcing staff to make assumptions on who may have the killer infection.
Carers are allowed to continue working even if they have had contact with a positive case, while in Germany, a 14-day self isolation period is compulsory.
In South Korea, where total and care home deaths have been relatively low, regular temperature checks are taken of residents.
Similarly in Hong Kong, residents are self-isolating even if there is no outbreak and must wear a face mask if they leave their room.
More than 4,000 care home residents in England and Wales have died during the pandemic in the UK up until April 17, official data shows, 19 per cent of the total on that date (22,351).
And data for the period up to the 26th April show there have been a total of 886 care home COVID-19 deaths in Scotland, 39 per cent of the total.
But Adelina Comas-Herrera, an author of the report, said she expects half of the UK’s deaths to have taken place in care homes up until now – suggesting the true death toll to be in the region of 50,000.
The pattern has been reported in Spain and Italy, where government were slow to act and were underprepared for the pandemic with low PPE.
Ms Comas-Herrera, a PhD student in the Department of Health Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, has been gathering resources worldwide to create LTCcovid.
LTCcovid (Long-Term Care responses to COVID-19) will document the impact of COVID-19 in care settings over the course of the pandemic.
Its most recent report said: ‘While it is early to come to firm conclusions and there are many difficulties with data, these differences suggest that having large numbers of deaths as result of COVID-19 is not inevitable and that appropriate measures to prevent and control infections in care homes can save lives.’
LTCcovid collection of information finds that countries that appear to have had relative success in preventing COVID-19 entering care homes have very strict processes to isolate and test all care home residents and staff.
They don’t just focus on those who have symptoms, but anyone who may have had contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19.