Coronavirus (Covid-19) Advice for Potential Visitors

Updated at 4pm on 18 January 2021. This page is regularly updated.

Important: Symptoms of Covid-19 include a new continuous cough, a fever, or a loss or change to your sense of taste and smell. If you or anyone in your household has these symptoms you need to self-isolate. If an ExtraCare resident develops symptoms, they should let us know as soon as possible.

Government Lockdown Restrictions: 05 January 2021

The Prime Minister announced a national lockdown commencing 05 January 2021 and instructed people to stay at home to control the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. We have scrutinised the Government’s requirements carefully and have issued lockdown restrictions to our communities.

In summary:

Please do not visit our locations unless your circumstances are exceptional

For further information:

ExtraCare’s lockdown restrictions and exceptional circumstances for visits to our communities are laid out below.
Additional restrictions have been put in place for Brunswick Gardens Village (Sheffield), Humber Court (Coventry), Longbridge (Birmingham), Lovat Fields (Milton Keynes) and Pannel Croft (Birmingham) Villages, Yates Court (Evesham) and Verona Court (Wolverhampton). These restrictions are also laid out below.

ExtraCare Lockdown Restrictions for our Residents and Communities

Stay at Home. Residents should minimise the time spent outside their apartment, bungalow or cottage. (The single most important action we can all take in fighting Covid-19 is to stay at home. When we reduce our day-to-day contact with others, we will reduce the spread of the infection).

Residents Should not Invite Visitors into Their Home and Shouldn’t Visit Others. Residents must not invite anyone else into their apartment, bungalow or cottage, or visit anyone else’s apartment, bungalow or cottage. The only exceptions are where visitors are:

Part of their ‘Support Bubble’. (A ‘Support Bubble’ is where a household with one adult joins with another household)
A healthcare professional delivering essential healthcare
Delivering external care and cleaning services
Delivering a pharmacy prescription or Royal Mail post to the front door
External volunteers delivering shopping or essential items to a resident’s home where they are unable to pick them up from reception
A member of staff or contractor providing maintenance services
A member of the ‘999’ services attending in an emergency

Please note: All visitors who don’t work in the location must register at reception.

Residents Should not Invite Visitors into Their Location’s Communal Areas. Family, friends and other visitors are not allowed inside the location building or communal areas unless they are:

Listed in the exceptions above
Part of a ‘Support Bubble’
Trained volunteers providing essential support services, as approved by the Manager

Other ExtraCare Restrictions and Guidance

Wearing Face Coverings in All Communal Areas. Everyone in ExtraCare’s location buildings must wear face coverings when visiting or passing through any internal communal areas. (Please, however, respect those who are unable to do this for legitimate health reasons).

Gatherings Inside Location Communal Areas. Residents cannot meet in groups in communal areas within their location’s building. The following exceptions apply:

They are with their household
They are attending a formal staff led support group that has been approved by the manager

Exercise

We fully support residents exercising outside in their location’s grounds with their household or ‘Support Bubble’ where this is possible, or joining staff-organised balcony exercises
If residents go off site to exercise, they can only do this once a day with their household, their ‘Support Bubble’, or one person from another household, as laid down by Government guidance

Accessing Catering Facilities. Bars will be closed. Catering facilities such as restaurants, cafés and bistros will provide a ‘Take Away’ or ‘Delivery’ Service only. The following restrictions apply:

Face coverings must be worn when collecting food (see item on wearing face coverings above)
Where meals are ordered for delivery, payment must be taken before delivery

Accessing Other Facilities. All other facilities are closed, with the exception of:

Location Shop, where there is one
Computer Area
Guest Suites, but only where they are being used in exceptional circumstances approved by the Manager. For example, for relatives during end-of-life circumstances or with a critically ill resident.

Please note: As facilities are closed, and in accordance with the visitor restrictions laid out above, no external tutors, facilitators or entertainers will be allowed in the building.

Going Outside of The Location’s Grounds. Any visit into the wider community involves risk to residents and those living and working in their location. Residents should only leave their community for:

Essential shopping (such as food)
Medical or health-related appointments (e.g. GP, hospital or optician appointment)
Going to work or to volunteer
Exercise according to guidance
Visiting a ‘Support Bubble’
Supporting a Childcare Bubble’. If a resident is part of a ‘Childcare Bubble’ with another household, we ask them to provide support in the external household, not in their location

Residents are asked to ensure, especially in supermarkets, shops or on public transport, that they wear a face covering and that they maintain two metre social distancing at all times.

Receiving Shopping and Personal Deliveries. Personal deliveries such as packages and shopping can only be made to reception and residents should pick up their delivery from reception. The only exception is where they are unable to leave their home. In these circumstances residents can ask reception for their delivery to be made by a volunteer.

New Residents. New residents will still be allowed to move into their new home, in accordance with latest Government guidance which will be provided by their location’s ‘move in’ staff.

Additional Restrictions: Brunswick Gardens, Humber Court, Pannel Croft Village, Longbridge Village, Lovat Fields, Yates Court and Verona Court

We have placed further restrictions at these locations because we have residents with suspected symptoms and/or an official diagnosis of Covid-19. We are concerned about further infection within the location.

Therefore, external visitors are not allowed to visit Brunswick Gardens, Humber Court, Longbridge Village, Lovat Fields, Pannel Croft Village, Yates Court or Verona Court unless authorised by the onsite manager.

Please be assured we have continuity plans in place to ensure care and catering services continue in some form.

We will keep you updated as national guidance and our own procedures adapt to the changing circumstances associated with the virus. Please be assured care and catering services will continue within these restrictions.