Coronavirus: As many as 7,500 may have died from COVID-19 in care homes - estimate
Accurate figures from care homes have been delayed for several weeks because current procedures rely on death certificates which must be registered and processed.Earlier this week, Public Health England head Professor Yvonne Doyle said agencies were working towards producing"much more rapid data, preferably on a daily basis".
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has also promised that data on care home residents who die with coronavirus will be available"very shortly" - and he confirmed that the Care Quality Commission had started to gather data on fatalities in both hospitals and care homes as of Thursday.A government spokesman said it is"working around the clock to give the social care sector the equipment and support they need".
"In an important step forward, ONS are now providing a breakdown of deaths by place of occurrence. We are currently working with CQC and other organisations to understand how to best to provide up-to-date information about deaths in care homes and elsewhere."Earlier this week, the manager of a care home among the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic told Sky News they feel"let down by the government".
On Thursday, the manager of Oak Springs Care Home in Liverpool said 16 residents had died after contracting COVID-19, and another eight still had symptoms. A straw poll by Sky News researchers has found few care homes in the country have been able to test their residents or their staff for COVID-19.
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