Plans are in the pipeline to create Covid-secure visitor pods at two Coalville residential care homes.

The pods, one at Parkmanor Nursing and Residential Care Home and the other at Coalville Care Home, will allow residents to meet with their loved ones without them needing to enter the main building, therefore reducing the risk of spreading the virus.

Rushcliffe Care Group, which operates the two homes, has applied to North West Leicestershire District Council for planning permission to build the stand-alone single-storey visitor pods.

Graham Godfrey, Rushcliffe Care Group's Health and Safety Officer, told Coalville Nub News: "Coalville and Parkmanor care homes, along with a number of other Rushcliffe Care homes, are aiming to provide suitable visiting facilities to enable families to meet with their loved ones in a safe and secure environment.

"We have always recognised that the visiting of loved ones and having that social contact for our residents and their families is so important and crucial for everyone's well-being.

"We have to manage the impact of COVID-19 and we believe having a designated visitor facility that is easily cleaned, well lit and heated, will help in reducing footfall in the care homes and meet the needs of the majority of residents and their families for safer visits.

"These visitor pods will also provide a personal area for families to interact with loved ones at a safe distance, along with additional measures to reduce the chances of exposure to the virus.

"Our hope is that they will help us to meet our duty of care regarding infection prevention and control of the virus and are part of our wider risk management plan."