A total of 58 residents and workers have tested positive for coronavirus at a Norfolk care home where vaccinations were administered before Christmas.

Fakenham & Wells Times: The department for health and social care has announced the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund, which was first introduced in May 2020, will be extended, with Norfolk being able to use an extra £10.5m worth of funding.The department for health and social care has announced the Adult Social Care Infection Control Fund, which was first introduced in May 2020, will be extended, with Norfolk being able to use an extra £10.5m worth of funding. (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto/Samara Heisz)

Some 27 residents and 31 staff members have tested positive for Covid-19 at Lincoln House care home in Swanton Morley.

The home is now working with Norfolk’s local outbreak management team and colleagues from Public Health England, Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group and Norfolk County Council’s adult social care during the outbreak.

The residents and staff were some of the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine, before Christmas.

But a spokesperson from Castlemeadow Care, which runs the care home, said its residents and staff were "only showing mild symptoms".

They said: "We appreciate this is a worrying time for our residents and their families and that the safety of our residents and staff is our top priority at this time.

"At this moment in time residents and staff are only showing mild symptoms with the hope that by having the vaccine early will prevent any conditions becoming more serious.

"All government guidelines and protocols in regard to PPE are being strictly followed by the home who has managed to keep the virus from the home over the last year."

Lincoln House is a nursing and residential home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 60 people.

Clinical trials for the Covid vaccines approved so far show you can still catch the virus if you’ve had the vaccine, but that it can substantially reduce the risk of becoming ill with it.

Fakenham & Wells Times: Dr Louise Smith, director of public health for Norfolk. Picture: Norfolk County CouncilDr Louise Smith, director of public health for Norfolk. Picture: Norfolk County Council (Image: Norfolk County Council)

Dr Louise Smith, Norfolk's director of public health, said there were currently 167 outbreaks in the county's care homes and that the council was working closely with providers.

She said the hope was that care home residents who have had the vaccine would become less unwell, reducing the number who need to be admitted to hospital.

She said: "At the moment, we are doing very sensitive tests, very frequently, in care homes and we will be watching to understand the data around vaccinations."