There were smiles all round a Newcastle care home on Monday as for the first time in almost three years, residents and carers were finally able to see each other face-to-face without a face covering.
Eothen Homes, in Gosforth, along with other care homes across the country, introduced mandatory face masks in March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Previous guidance said masks should be worn in care homes by staff at all times, but new guidance means wearing of masks is now at the discretion of homes.
Management at Eothen Homes carefully analysed the risks and decided to remove face masks for the first time on Monday. And manager Ebbw Ralph said "everyone was beaming" when staff counted down from three and removed their masks.
