Dear Family & Representatives,

 

The new visitor guidance was sent out last week, and it has been good to see an increase in overall visiting taking place. I’m aware we have risk assessments in place for a large number of visitors now, and the new guidance seems to be working well. We are still looking for a solution to increase responsiveness to telephone calls, the number of calls we receive can be very high, so it’s not always possible to answer if the lines are already in use. Please continue to use email and the booking system where possible.

 

Over the weekend there have been several articles in the press about a new Covid variant known as Omicron. It is being reported the new variant presents increase risk of transition and infection, and is possibly resistant to current vaccines. The new variant seems to have started in South Africa, but there are some confirmed cases in the UK – thankfully none reported in our area at the moment.

 

We will continue to monitor the potential impact of the new variant, and assess any risks it may present to residents and colleagues. I am aware there have been some rugby matches with South Africa in the UK, with lots of travelling fans, so we may see the variant spread quickly.

 

That said, we have no plans to change the visitor guidance at this present time. The purpose of this communication is simply to make you aware of the increased risk associated with the Omicron variant, and ask you to consider minimising visits, where possible, until we fully understand the impact of the new variant.

 

I’m sure Welsh Government will keep us informed if the infection rate increases in Monmouthshire.

In the meantime, thank you for your continued support, and do connect me if you have any concerns or issues you’d like to discuss.

 

Remain safe.

Warmest Regards,

 

Neil

Responsible Individual