Two youngsters being cared for by north-east charity VSA had to spend Christmas Day in “isolation” after catching coronavirus.
The social care charity, which provides services for vulnerable people, said five staff members at a residential cottage also tested positive for the disease in the run-up to December 25.
As a result, they were all required to self-isolate.
Three of the employees have since been given the all-clear, while the two others are expected to be fit for work again next week.
The charity said the youngsters displayed “very minor” Covid symptoms before Christmas and have been kept in isolation and monitored closely to ensure they remain well.
No other cases were reported at the facility, which cannot be named in order to protect the identities of the vulnerable people involved.
VSA said additional measures were introduced there to prevent any further spread of the virus.
Chief executive Kenneth Simpson said: “The amazing staff at VSA have worked tirelessly to keep all members of our family – residents and staff – as safe as they can and we have left no stone unturned to make sure everyone is kept in the best of health.
“This episode shows that no matter what precautionary measures you put in place we all have to be vigilant to make sure the virus is kept at bay.
“Thankfully, while we treat any scenario of this kind as seriously as possible, we kept it under control and both the vulnerable residents, and the staff had minor symptoms, and all are doing well.
“But we cannot be complacent, and we’ll continue to invest in making sure everyone is as safe as can be.”
Last night VSA said it had invested more than £1 million during 2020 in coronavirus safety measures, including PPE and additional staff.
It said it is in daily contact with the Care Inspectorate, NHS and Scottish Government, and has also been holding regular briefings and training sessions for staff.
