A care home that was due to shut will now stay open during the coronavirus pandemic to support the elderly and discharged hospital patients.

Margaret House care home in Parsonage Close, Abbots Langley, was due to shut after the building it was based in was being deemed "no longer fit for purpose" by Hertfordshire County Council.

But today, the council has confirmed that the care home "will remain open at this time" to provide beds for elderly people who require additional support during the outbreak and for patients discharged from hospital who "may not have the additional support required".

However, people will not be allowed to stay at the care home if they have had a positive Covid-19 test result prior to admission. The care home is also staying open to offer only short term care.

The county council says it has made the decision to keep the care home open as part of a wider council initiative for people in the community.

A spokesperson from the council said: “We can confirm that Margaret House is remaining open at this time and is providing beds as part of a wider county council initiative for local older people currently living in the community who require additional support during the outbreak and for hospital patients who may not have the additional support required to return to their normal home after hospital discharge.

"It is designed to offer short term care home stays from 14 to 28 days to enable service users to return to their normal homes with support packages in place. All such beds are subject to strict admission protocols including the requirement for service users to have had a negative Covid-19 test immediately prior to their admission to any care home.”