CARE home residents will be reuniting with their loved ones after the government lifted restrictions on the number of visitors they can receive today.

Those living in care homes in England will now be able to have unlimited visits from family and friends.

The government first announced the end to national restrictions on care home visits in November, but had to impose a three-person limit when the omicron variant hit.

The latest change, announced last week, means there are no nationally set restrictions, but individual homes will continue to be able to set their own visiting policies.

Homes currently with outbreaks will not be able to lift restrictions immediately and there are concerns others may continue to restrict visits or not have enough staff to cope with an increase in visitors.

Rights for Residents co-founder Jenny Morrison said the campaign group “remain fearful” for residents in homes which have not followed previous guidance instructing them to relax visiting policies.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid acknowledged care homes have “a lot of discretion” over the rules they set, urging providers to do “everything they can to allow as many visitors as they can.”