A CHARITY care home which was having to make its staff re-use personal protective equipment has received hordes of donations from the community.

Edensor Care Home, in Orwell Road, Clacton, has put measures in place in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus and protect its staff and residents.

But it revealed workers were being instructed to wear the same mask for days at a time due to dwindling supplies and hiked prices.

After every shift, workers were having to spray their masks with alcohol before hanging them on a washing line to dry so they could be re-used.

The questionable approach was not in line with Government guidance but the Diagrama Foundation, which runs the home, said it had no other option.

Now the community and local businesses have rallied together to ensure the home’s staff and residents are as protected as they can be.

Dr David McGuire, who is the chief executive of the Diagrama Foundation, said as a result workers are now being issued a new mask for every shift.

“We cannot thank the community enough and are pleased to say the washing line of masks has been taken down, and hopefully forever,” he said.

“Many people and businesses have donated stocks of surgical masks they did not need and we are truly grateful and thank everyone for their generosity.

“We now have enough supplies hopefully to see us through this challenging time. Protecting our residents is always our number one priority.”

According to Dr McGuire, the home, which has to date had no confirmed cases of coronavirus, took the action it did due to struggling to acquire more PPE.

He added: “We are not a luxury care home. We are a charity supporting our community’s most vulnerable residents.”