Bury St Edmunds care home residents meet loved ones for the first time

Residents at a care home were overjoyed to meet their loved ones in person for the first time since the start of the pandemic this week.

Cornwallis Court, in Hospital Road, Bury St Edmunds, opened its doors to family visits following new guidance from the Government which allows each resident to receive visits from one family member or loved one.

One of the first residents to be reunited with her son was 92-year-old Evelyn Mingay.

Evelyn, said: “It’s just wonderful. It’s been too long.”

Her son, Derek, said: “The experience has been brilliant. It is such a great thing to see mum properly again.”

Each visitor to the home, run by RMBI Care Co, must take a lateral flow test beforehand and receive a negative Covid result. They must also wear PPE including gloves, apron and a face mask.

Families have only been able to visit before this time by using the home’s Covid-secure visitor pod, which opened last summer.

Home manager, Denise O’Brien, said: “We have been waiting for this moment for a long time and are overjoyed to be able to reunite our residents safely with their loved ones in person.”

“Throughout the pandemic, our staff have gone above and beyond to support our residents to stay connected with their loved ones, which is vital for their wellbeing.

We are so pleased to be moving in the right direction and are looking forward to opening our Home up to more visitors and larger gatherings when it is safe to do so.”

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Read more: All the latest news from Bury St Edmunds