ADDITIONAL support is being given to care providers in Dorset as the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases continues to rise.

Dorset Council is working with the care sector across the county to support them in keeping residents and staff safe during the pandemic.

The council is having regular calls with care providers and is offering 24/7 emergency support.

Councillor Laura Miller, Dorset Council's portfolio holder for adult social care and health, said: "It is not just our statutory duty but also our moral duty to safeguard all residents and staff in care settings in Dorset.

"I am acutely aware that each resident is an individual person, with many families and loved ones, and out teams always have this at the forefront of everything they do in keeping people safe."

Anna Knight, chair of the Dorset Care Homes Association, said: "We are working as hard as we possibly can, with the support of our local authority and health colleagues, to ensure that our residents and staff remain as safe as possible by implementing the highest level of infection control prevention measures."