Buckland Court in South Mill Road had successfully avoided an outbreak inside the home until early 2021. But in January, at the height of the second wave, it was among the homes that battled a Covid-19 outbreak which claimed the lives of a number of residents. The Orders of St John Care Trust, which runs the home, didn’t confirm how many residents died as a result but said the outbreak has now been contained. In a statement, Janet Pannell, the trust’s Regional Director for Wiltshire, said: “It was with great sadness that some of our residents lost their lives in this outbreak. We are very close with the residents who live in our homes and their families and this was undoubtedly a challenging time.
Journal understands. Earlier this month, reports emerged of a resident at Willowcroft care home being allowed to spend Christmas Day at his family s home. According to several members of staff at the home, which is rated as safe and ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the resident in question later tested positive for Covid. This then led to an outbreak, the staff members claim. A coronavirus outbreak has been confirmed, resulting in four deaths recorded as linked to the disease at the Odstock Road home. The Orders of St John Care Trust, which manages the home, did not deny allowing a resident to leave the home for Christmas.