Two people have died following an outbreak of coronavirus at a care home in Fife.
Sixteen residents from the 36-bed Scoonie House Care Home in Leven are understood to have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent days, two of whom have since passed away after falling ill.
The news comes just a day after it emerged that more than half of Scotland’s coronavirus deaths are now happening in care home settings, with 338 out of the 656 deaths recorded between April 20 and 26 in such complexes.
Sources close to Scoonie House say staff have been left “distraught” by the extent of the outbreak, particularly after more stringent social distancing measures were taken at an early stage in the pandemic.
The identities of the two residents who have died have not been divulged but their relatives are being supported.
A spokesperson for the home said: “The health and wellbeing of our residents and colleagues is our absolute priority, and we are doing everything we can to keep them well during this time.
“We have put in place a number of measures to safeguard our residents and we continue to work alongside Health Protection Scotland.”
An extensive investigation into the source of the outbreak is said to be under way at the private home in Windygates Road, which is a Victorian building converted to provide residential care for up to 36 elderly people.
The home offers a full range of residential care support, including trial stays, respite breaks and convalescent care as well as long-term care.
In addition to the latest Scottish Government advice, Scoonie House operators Caring Homes introduced a policy whereby non-essential visitors – including relatives – were told to stay away from the home, while residents have been kept up-to-date through specially-tailored wellbeing programmes.
The company’s own Covid-19 steering group also meets remotely every day, with many homes across the country remaining open for pre-screened and safe admissions.
The Care Inspectorate, the care sector’s regulator, has said it will be examining every care home’s conduct during the pandemic and has not commented on individual cases.
