THE number of care homes hit by Covid-19 infections has soared to the highest level on record putting pressure on the sector battling the pandemic for two years.

Almost a third of all adult care homes in Scotland are currently managing outbreaks with a total of 325 centres affected across the country. It is a rise of 6% since 8 December last year when 66 reported confirmed or suspected cases to the authorities, according to figures published last week by the Scottish Government.

The development comes amid a continuing rise in infections across most of the UK, with levels in Scotland hitting another record high.

A total of 376,300 people north of the border were likely to have had Covid-19 last week, or one in 14. This is up from 299,900 people, or one in 18, the previous week, figures from the Office of National Statistics show.

For many people who have been triple vaccinated, the symptoms of the disease may be mild. However, as a result of the spike in infections, the number of hospitalisations has also surged with 2050 patients being treated in hospitals.

An update published on Friday by the Scottish Government said that the majority of patients were aged 60 or older with those over 64 accounting for most Covid deaths.

It also revealed further details of how the virus was affecting care homes with 744 reported among individual residents up to March 13, an increase of 24% from the previous week.

January saw a peak in the number of cases in care homes - with 833 residents testing positive - but fewer homes suffering outbreaks.

The affect of Covid on care homes and their elderly population dominated the headlines earlier in the pandemic when many residents lost their lives as a result of contracting the virus.

It later emerged that more than half of elderly hospital patients discharged between March and May 2020 to nearly 200 Scottish care homes to make room for Covid patients needing acute care in wards had not been tested for Covid.

Karen Hedge, deputy chief executive officer for Scottish Care, which represents private and charity run care homes, said the pandemic was continuing to place huge stain on the service.

She said that one of the big challenges because of the high levels of Covid in the community was the impact on staffing with cares left exhausted as a result of the spread of Omicron variant which began at the end of last year.

"The latest wave is having a significant impact on both care home and homecare services in the same manner as it is with the NHS," she said.

"Once again we are especially concerned at the increase in absence levels of staff having thought that we had got through the worst of Omicron. Government figures indicate that as at 8 March, 1,476 staff in adult care homes were reported as absent due to Covid 19, based on returns received from 701 (67%) adult care homes.

"Staff absent due to Covid represents 4.1% of all adult care home staff reported."

She added: "These are alarming enough, and we would consider are an under-representation but when they are taken together with the already high levels of absence pre the Omicron strain for non-Covid reasons then they are resulting in absence levels in the high teens....I think it is fair to say that organisations and their staff are exhausted, and this is made worse because this has been going on for such a long period since early December."

Ms Hedge welcomed the rule which allows care homes to allow a ‘named’ visitor to come into the home even during an outbreak providing that Public Health consider the outbreak to be managed.

However, she added that "undeniably long periods of continued isolation for residents" were having a profoundly negative impact on the health of residents and family members.

"Visiting has continued but we are not back to the levels that we saw before Omicron," she said.

"We are also seeing a reduction in primary care support for care homes because of the pressures on the system in both general practice and community nursing."

Robert Kilgour, executive chairman of Renaissance Care, added: "Covid cases in our care homes - like across all of Scotland - are quite high just now and also an increasing number of our amazing staff are off isolating - so it is a very difficult and challenging time for us all."

Mr Kilgour added that a roll out of new booster jabs for all care home residents was about to start and that the latest vaccination programme would help.

"I am quietly confident that we are on top of things and that there is light at the end of the tunnel after two very tough and bruising years fighting hard at the front line against the pandemic,." he said.

"We are continuing to work well and closely with all the local public health teams across Scotland in the ten local authority areas where our 16 care homes are to make sure that we remain correctly focused on our number one priority - the health and well-being of our vulnerable elderly residents and of our near 1,200 hard working staff."

“The very high number of Covid cases in Scottish care homes currently reported is of great and continuing public health concern. The homes contain a significant number of residents at high clinical risk and some staff and visitors will also be at further risk.”

“Even though Omicron effects may be less severe than earlier Covid variants for the vaccinated , the position of care home residents is now emerging as more precarious than first thought. This is because recent UK research has indicated vaccinated care home residents are at increased risk of infection, hospitalisation and death due to their Covid immunity waning after 3 to 7 months. So more vaccine boosters will be critical and still need to be combined with continuing effective non-pharmaceutical interventions in care homes such as effective ventilation and good PPE”.

Nicola Sturgeon last week pushed back the date for ditching laws for people to wear face coverings on public transport, shops and other indoor settings after a surge in Covid cases due to the surge.

The First Minister had previously signalled the wearing of face masks would move from being a legal requirement to being guidance on Monday, March 21.

She told MSPs that amid the “current spike” in cases, ministers had agreed it was “prudent” for this measure to remain in place.

However, Ms Sturgeon pressed ahead with the lifting of other restrictions, including announcing that the legal requirement for businesses to keep customers’ details in case these are needed for contact tracing will end as planned tomorrow.

She went on to tell MSPs that advice on testing would also change and that from April 18 “we will no longer advise people without symptoms to test twice weekly”.

Social Care Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Covid-19 has not gone away; and we should never be complacent about the risk it represents to individuals who are immune compromised or frail, including those who live in care homes. However, we are in a better place than we were last year due to the positive impact of vaccination, including against Omicron, and the additional treatments now available for Covid-19.

“It is vital that visiting continues to be supported so people living in care homes can maintain contact with loved ones. If a care home does not have an outbreak, there are no recommended limitations on the frequency and duration of visiting. During an outbreak, care home residents can choose a friend or relative as a ‘named visitor’ to visit them and named visitors should be supported to visit in all but exceptional circumstances.

“We are working with Public Health Scotland and ARHAI (Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection) Scotland to review the remaining recommendations in place for adult care homes, balancing risk with harms, so that care homes can return to normality, as soon as is possible.”