CORONAVRUS cases have been found in nearly four in ten care homes in England, it was revealed today.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said data collected by Public Health England and the Care Quality Commission showed that 5,889 care homes had reported a suspected outbreak of symptomatic or confirmed coronavirus as of May 17.
That amounted to 38 per cent of care homes in England, the spokesman said.
Covid-19 has had a devastating impact in care homes, with the grim tally of deaths standing currently at 12,526.
Last week Matt Hancock promised the Government would test every staff member and resident in elderly care homes by the end of the month, in a ramp up of testing.
Previously only people who needed one would get one – that included people with or without symptoms.
And he revealed a fresh funding boost to make sure that workers were not travelling between care homes during the outbreak.
However, critics have said the cash and plans are too little, too late.
Workers have long complained about a lack of proper PPE in care homes, and said they have been forgotten.
HOAR revealed last week that a care home boss urged 45 managers to fill empty beds to stop them losing money – despite virus deaths in some.
A whistleblower revealed Healthcare Homes Group chiefs said it was “frankly unacceptable” to be losing up to £100,000 a week from the shortfall.
Anthony Beorby, chief operations director of Healthcare Homes Group, urged action in an internal email.
Previously residents did not need to be tested for the virus before being transferred from hospital into a home, causing the illness to spread.
Covid-19 was the leading cause of the death for male care home residents, accounting for 30.3 per cent of deaths, figures last week revealed.
It was the second leading cause of death in female care home residents, after dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 23.5 per cent of deaths.
Those aged between 65 and 69 accounted for the highest proportion of deaths involving coronavirus in both male and female care home residents – 35.1 per cent and 30.3 per cent respectively.
There has been anger among care home operators, staff and relatives the government has underestimated the severity of the impact of the disease in care.
The Prime Minister has admitted he “bitterly regrets” the coronavirus epidemic that has spread like wild fire the country’s care homes.
