RELATIVES of residents in Marnel Lodge Care Home have paid tribute to the “amazing” staff who have been dealing with a Covid-19 outbreak.

The Popley care home declared an outbreak on January 10 after a “number of cases and deaths” were reported to Public Health England.

PHE said it is unable to confirm the exact number of residents who have died at the home.

However, the Gazette understands that the figure is lower than 10.

The home, in Carter Drive, was among the first to receive the vaccine, with doctors from The Chineham Medical Practice visiting on New Year’s Day to administer it.

The government advises that you cannot catch Covid-19 from the vaccine but it is possible to have caught Covid-19 and not realise you have the symptoms until after your vaccination appointment.

It may take a week or two to build up some protection from the first dose of vaccine.

Liz Gen, whose mother is in Marnel Lodge, thanked the staff for working “under such horrible conditions” adding: “The staff are doing everything possible to keep everyone safe.”

Laura Rogers, whose grandmother is at the home and has caught Covid, described the staff as “truly amazing”, saying: “The care has been impeccable and we couldn’t have asked for more.”

She added: “The care is outstanding. Sebastien the manager has gone above and beyond over the year to keep his residents (family as he calls them) safe, with no cases in the whole pandemic until the beginning of this year.”

A spokesperson for Barchester Healthcare, which runs Marnel Lodge, said: “We can confirm that we have had individuals confirmed with Covid-19 at Marnel Lodge and very sadly some of those have passed away.

“We are deeply saddened by these losses and we send our condolences to all family and friends affected. We have done everything possible to contain this virulent virus and we are very grateful to our residents, their families and friends for their support.”