New agony for 400,000 elderly in care homes as family visits are axed yet again

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Hundreds of thousands of care home residents face heartbreak after visits were banned across England again.

Close contact with family members has been forbidden under the new lockdown rules in a 'terrible blow' for the 400,000 people living in care homes.

Visits can still go ahead – but only through screens, pods and windows, according to Government guidance published on Monday.

Campaigners warned this means many families face going a whole year without a meaningful visit with their relatives in care, many of whom have only weeks or months left to live.

Seven in ten care home residents have dementia and many relatives fear that by the time they finally see their loved ones again, they will have forgotten who they are.

Following a major Daily Mail campaign, those in care homes were once again allowed to hug and hold hands with visitors in December – as long as they had tested negative for Covid.

But all close contact visits will now be forbidden under the rules – which were already in place in Tier Four areas.