A Dumfries care home has been struck by a Covid-19 outbreak.
And it has been confirmed that two residents at Lochduhar have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus.
Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership is providing support to staff at the home where, as of Wednesday, 10 cases of Covid had been detected between staff and residents.
A DGHSCP spokesman said: “The operator of this care home has been faced with a challenging and difficult situation, but full credit is due to them and their very dedicated staff for the responses that have been mounted.
“Thoughts are with the residents and staff at the care home during this difficult time.
“Covid-19 is very highly infectious, which means that containing its spread is not easy, even when it is being met with all the correct protocols, including regular testing and vaccinations.
“Currently, cases of coronavirus are still being recorded in high numbers across all four localities in Dumfries and Galloway – Annandale and Eskdale, Nithsdale, Stewartry and Wigtownshire – and there is clear evidence that it is being transmitted within the community.”
Admissions and transfers have been suspended at Lochduhar where “immediate action” was taken to implement a number of “additional robust infection control measures” as soon as the outbreak developed.
The tragic deaths come as the health board revealed that 60 per cent of the region’s new Covid cases this week were of the Omicron variant.
In the week ending Sunday, December 19, a total of 598 new cases were recorded in Dumfries and Galloway – up from 562 the week before.
Public health director Valerie White said: “The current situation is so eerily similar to where we were at this time last year, when we saw the arrival of the Alpha variant over Christmas and the rapid spread into January.
“Please, do have a good festive period, but do everything you can to help stop the spread, and consider taking up the opportunity of vaccination at whatever stage you are at in order to provide the best degree of protection.”
She added: “It could well be that Dumfries and Galloway is currently experiencing the calm before the storm in terms of Covid cases.
“Across much of the rest of Scotland we’re seeing numbers increasing, driven by the Omicron variant.
“This variant is so highly transmissible, that just three weeks after it was first discovered it has now become the dominant variant in Scotland – driving out Delta.
“With such a transmissible virus, there is also the potential for staffing across businesses and essential services to be effected, as people are forced to isolate due to contracting the virus or by being a close contact.”
Meanwhile, prison officials have confirmed a Covid-19 outbreak at HMP Dumfries.
A “small number of cases” have been confirmed and several individuals are isolating.
The issue emerged this week at Dumfries Sheriff Court when it was revealed several prisoners were unable to make personal appearances due to the situation at the jail.
A Scottish Prison Service (SPS) spokesperson dismissed the suggestion there had been a total lockdown and added: “There’s a small number of confirmed cases and a small group of individuals in isolation as a precautionary measure.”
