LAST week they celebrated 55 years of marriage separated by a window to keep them safe.

But now loving husband and wife Norman and Sandra Thomson have been reunited in person as coronavirus lockdown restrictions continue to ease.

The sun was shining for the emotional visit as Norman, 76, was finally allowed to see Sandra, 74,who lives in Whitecraigs Care Home, for the first time in four months.

The couple sat outdoors in the garden for a face-to-face catch up.

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Norman, who brought a bouquet of flowers for his wife, said: "It's marvellous.

"I was really looking forward to the visit. Obviously I would love to be with her but this is the first step.

"It's fantastic. I’m looking forward to next."

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Amanda Randou, activities coordinator at the Renaissance Care-run home, said: “Sandra really enjoyed getting to reconnect with Norman.

"Visits are going great here.

"It’s lovely to see our residents reconnecting with their loved ones.

"It is challenging as it's a different type of visit but it's a step forward."

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Norman and Sandra weren't the only couple to be reunited.

Resident Tommy, 84, saw his wife of 55 years Isa.

Isa said: “I was really pleased to see Tommy after four months.

"It was good and he looked well and seemed happy.

"Even if it’s just one visit a week, it’s keeping us in contact and lets him know I’m here."

Keeping loved ones connected has been a key focal point for care homes since the start of the pandemic, with Renaissance Care purchasing iPads for each of its 15 homes.

The visits are in line with a six-figure investment sum from care home veteran Robert Kilgour for new equipment aimed at easing safety concerns for the outdoor meetings.

As well as further increasing stocks of PPE across the group, Robert is kitting out each of its care homes with state-of-the-art temperature-screening thermal imaging cameras and portable, industrial-strength air purifiers which allow for both room air and all surfaces to be fully sterilised.

The cameras are now being used across each of the homes, with the air purifiers delivered in time for the planned next phase - indoor visiting - that will follow.

This will assist with checks for Covid-19 temperature symptoms, and with swift deep cleaning of all spaces which have been accessed by relatives as visits resume.

Renaissance Care has also purchased the license to use a booking app that will allow relatives of residents to reserve a visiting slot on their smart phones and ease the staff task of organising visitor numbers at a safe level that will ensure social distancing.

Robert said: “This is a substantial investment on our part, but it is absolutely essential in helping to ensure our residents and their relatives feel confident in safety during visits.”

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Percy Mann, the 102-year-old who became a Tik Tok star earlier in the coronavirus lockdown also had a visit.

He was thrilled to see his daughter Doreen.

Doreen said: “I thought the visit was really good and it was great to see my dad.

"I think my dad really enjoyed it.

"It’s not a long time and you can tell it’s a lot of work for the staff but it was good to see him I really appreciate it."

Renaissance Care started to implement visitor restrictions early in the crisis on March 1 and chose to lock down all their care homes to visitors on March 11. but have allowed end of life visits to take place throughout, following guidelines.

It will now be allowing all relatives visiting to start up again in the approved manner - outside only - at most of its homes with a couple of homes being delayed for a further 10-12 days to fulfil the ‘Covid-19 free for 28 days’ rule.

Robert said: “Our 15 care homes throughout Scotland have had a 73-day rollercoaster ride from our first resident testing positive on April 3 to all our homes being Covid-19 free on June 15.

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“Sadly we have lost 48 of our much-loved residents who have tested positive during this crisis, but we have also seen 91 of our residents recover thanks to the hard work and dedication of our superb staff.

“In 30 years of working in the social care sector, I have never been more proud to be a part of such a great workforce who have fought so bravely at the front line against this terrible virus, going above and beyond and caring for what are their second families.

“These visits will be just what our residents need to raise their morale after many weeks of isolation and of not being able to see their children and grandchildren face to face."