At least five people have died after a coronavirus outbreak infected dozens of people at a Scots care home.
Last week 72 residents and staff at Inchmarlo House, near Banchory, Aberdeenshire tested positive for the virus.
Now it has emerged more than five of those who contracted the disease have died.
Aberdeenshire West MSP Alexander Burnett said: “Having spoken to the local authorities today, it is now clear a tragedy has occurred.
“Many people in Banchory and the wider north-east will be devastated by the events of the last week.
“Behind this crisis will be grieving families, and I know I will be one of many whose thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Last week NHS Grampian launched an investigation into the outbreak at the facility, which is part of the 100-acre Inchmarlo Retirement Village.
North-east Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald said: “These tragic reports confirm just how quickly Covid can spread once it gets into care homes.
“By definition they are places with high numbers of vulnerable people.
“It makes it all the more important testing , and eventually vaccination, are made available to staff and residents in care homes as quickly as possible.
“It is also important it’s made available to people who visit care homes in order to make sure staff and residents are kept safe.”
Last week a spokeswoman for Inchmarlo House said that the venue was doing all it could to prioritise the safety of staff and residents following the outbreak.
At the weekend it emerged Aberdeenshire was to take part in a trial in which visitors to care homes would be offered faster Covid-19 tests, in order to prevent the spread of the virus into the facilities.
The scheme will also take place in homes in North Ayrshire, Fife, Argyll and Bute and Inverclyde.
Testing kits will then be sent out to all care homes in Scotland from December 14.
The lateral flow tests do not need to go to labs and can give results in under an hour.
Visitors who test negative will still have to wear PPE.
If there is a positive result, the visitor will be advised to leave the home, self-isolate and book a PCR test at a coronavirus testing centre.
