Close-contact indoor visits are barred across English care homes following the imposition of a new national lockdown effective from 5 January.
Visits to care homes however can take place with arrangements such as substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows.
The latest rules are the same as the Tier 4 restrictions imposed in placed such as London and large parts of the south-east England prior to national lockdown.
Residents meanwhile cannot meet people indoors on a visit out, for example, to visit their relatives in the family home.
There is separate guidance for those in supporting living.
The restrictions are expected to last until the middle of February if the Covid situation in hospitals improve.
In a related development, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the NHS hopes to have vaccinated everyone in the top four priority groups identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation – including older care home residents and staff, everyone over 70, all frontline NHS and care staff and all those who are clinically extremely vulnerable – by mid-February.
“Vaccinating the most vulnerable will protect those at highest risk from Covid-19 and this will remove a significant amount of the pressure currently facing the NHS,” he added.
