Coronavirus restrictions for adult social care in England are being eased today, meaning care home residents can receive an unlimited number of visitors.

Isolation periods for those who test positive for COVID have also been cut from 14 days to 10 day, with further reductions if the person has a negative test on days five and six.

Care homes will have to follow outbreak management rules for 14 days, rather than 28; and by 16 February care workers will be asked to take lateral flow tests before their shifts, replacing the current system of weekly PCR tests.

Read more: Misery for residents in care homes and their families because of visiting rules

Government data shows 86.5% of care home residents have had their booster jab.

In December, it was announced care home residents would only be allowed three named people as regular visitors, in an effort to protect them from the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant.

The government said it changed the rules for care home visits “to balance the current COVID-19 risk and the need to keep people safe in line with clinical advice”.

COVID-19: Mandatory jabs for health workers could be scrapped after warnings of staffing crisis

Spotify to add ‘content advisory’ to podcast episodes about COVID after Neil Young and Joni Mitchell pull music in misinformation row

COVID-19: Hong Kong allows hamster pet shops to reopen after thousands of rodents were culled due to COVID outbreak

Staff testing was also increased to three lateral flow tests per week, as well as a weekly PCR.

COVID crisis: Are care homes now safer?

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said last week: “I know how vital companionship is to those living in care homes and the positive difference visits make, which is why we continued to allow three named visitors and an essential care giver under Plan B measures.

“Thanks to the progress we have made, I am delighted that care home restrictions can now be eased further allowing residents to see more of their loved ones.”

Related posts:

UK reports another 323 coronavirus deaths and 9,985 cases – as first jab count tops 18.6 million No coronavirus deaths reported in London on one day – for second time this year UK records a further 20,479 coronavirus cases and 23 deaths UK ‘increasingly confident’ more countries will move to amber or green travel lists Laura Kenny makes history with fifth cycling gold – as Team GB medal haul continues Scotland to rule on right to kill beavers Rules on waste water discharge eased due to supply shortages linked to Brexit and pandemic Parts of England and Wales could see heatwave with temperatures of up to 30C Joey Barton cleared of assaulting rival football manager after match What is the Nationality and Borders Bill and why is it so controversial? Inciting hostility on basis of sex or gender should be hate crime, Law Commission says Boris Johnson’s future hangs in the balance after his apology fails to contain the crisis – Beth Rigby