Care home visits will continue in North Yorkshire despite the country entering a second national lockdown.
The county council restricted visits during October but advised homes they could relax the rules in November to allow one designated visitor for each resident.
Officials have said the measure will continue through lockdown, but homes which report an outbreak will have to restrict visits.
Richard Webb, director of adult social care at the county council, said he was pleased that new government guidance will allow visits to continue.
He said:
“We know how very important it is to the mental health and emotional wellbeing of residents and their friends and families for visits to care settings to take place, if at all possible, without jeopardising safety,
“When covid-19 infection rates began to rise across communities in September we asked care homes to pause routine visits so as to protect residents. However, we set up a task group which included residents and families to look into how visits could be made safe long-term.
“We acted on their recommendations so that from the start of November we could ask all care homes to be open for one visitor for each resident, subject to keeping to rules on hygiene, physical distancing and protective equipment.
“We are very pleased that the new national lockdown regulations will enable these visits to continue.”
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It comes as the government has to set out further guidance to encourage care homes to allow visitors through lockdown.
The advice reiterates the use of PPE and social distancing when allowing visitors into homes.
Meanwhile, North Yorkshire has also bid to be part of a national pilot for care home visits.
The scheme, which was revealed by care minister Helen Whately last week, would allow one relative or friend of a care home resident to be treated as a key worker.
This would enable people to visit loved ones in homes during the winter, though no dates when this might be implemented have been revealed.
