A care home employee struck down with coronavirus is now self-isolating. 

A member of staff at Ashcombe House care home in Worting Road tested positve for the disease this week.

Families of residents have been contacted and residents have all been tested, a spokesman for the home told The Gazette.

He told this newspaper: “We are reporting all Covid-19 information to the relevant authorities, and as you can imagine it is a constantly changing picture. However, we can confirm that we have had a member of staff test positive with Covid-19 at Ashcombe House.

"This staff member has been isolating at home since this result as is protocol. Following this all residents have been tested and we are awaiting results.

“In the meantime our focus is on keeping our residents and staff safe and well. We are confident in the processes in our homes with all of our staff trained in infection control, and our staff have been brilliant in implementing this.

"The home is in regular contact with Public Health England and the local authority and we are following medical advice and are supplied with the appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE).”

At the moment, The Gazette understands visitors are still allowed.

One relative said that they are able to visit their loved ones by seeing them in a tent outside the home. 

Over the last 24 hours, a further 91 cases of coronavirus were recorded in the county of Hampshire. 

Public Health England figures show that 6,516 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday (October 7) in Hampshire, up from 6,425 the same time on Tuesday.

The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

The rate of infection in Hampshire now stands at 471 cases per 100,000 people, far lower than the England average of 827.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 14,162 over the period, to 544,275.

Hampshire's cases were among the 47,664 recorded across the South East, a figure which rose by 849 over the period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.