Hampshire County Council has refused to comment after 22 residents died at a Basingstoke care home.

As reported by The Gazette, Pemberley House Care Home in Viables lost one-third of its residents to coronavirus following an outbreak this month.

All 22 deaths have occurred since the outbreak was declared on January 5, 2021. 

The Gazette contacted the county council in relation to the tragic news but the authority said it does not comment on cases involving individual private care homes.

The Basingstoke-based residential home is operated by Avery Healthcare, a private company that owns 56 sites around the country. 

A spokesman for the authority said: "We do not comment on the circumstances of deaths within individual private care homes - any death is a cause for great sadness and our sincere condolences go to everyone affected at this time. 

"It is important to make clear that protection from the vaccine takes time to build and it is imperative therefore that anyone who has had the jab continues to closely follow the ‘hands face space’ guidance, as well as any guidance for their occupational role, to protect themselves and others.”

The loss of 22 residents in the space of three weeks is one of the worst outbreaks within a care home to date.

In June 2020, 24 residents died at a care home in County Durham while last month, nine residents died from the disease at Willows Edge care home in Newbury.