Crisis in care homes as 92 more confirm coronavirus outbreaks in just 24 hours

13 April 2020, 19:36

92 care homes reported outbreaks of coronavirus in just 24 hours. Picture: Google Maps/ PA

By Kate Buck

More care homes around the UK are reporting cases of coronavirus, with 92 reporting fresh outbreaks in the space of a single day.

Speaking at Monday's press conference on coronavirus, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said around 13.5 per cent of all care homes in the UK have reported at least one confirmed case of Covid-19.

Last week the figure was 9 per cent.

There are currently around 11,300 care homes in the UK, meaning more than 1,500 have reported cases.

The true figure of those who have died is not known as the daily figure of deaths only relates to people who have died in an NHS hospital.

Professor Whitty said he wanted testing within care homes to be increased to deal with the growing number of cases.

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Stanley Park has reported 13 deaths. Picture: Google Maps

He said: "One of the things we want to do is extend the amount of testing of people in care homes as the ability to test ramps up over the next few weeks, because clearly care home are one of the areas where there are large numbers of vulnerable people.

"That is an area of risk and therefore we would very much like to have much more extensive testing in that setting. That will help with this."

Care England, an industry body representing independent care homes, fears that 1,000 residents could have died from the virus and says even more "unrecorded deaths" could have been "swept under the carpet".

The worst hit care home is currently thought to be Burlington Court in Glasgow, where 16 residents are reported to have died.

Earlier today it was confirmed that 13 residents at a care home in County Durham died after suffering coronavirus symptoms.

Burlington Court in Glasgow is thought to be the worst affected. Picture: PA

Care UK said everyone at Stanley Park Care Home in Stanley, County Durham, is "really saddened" after the latest death on Monday morning.

Karen Morrison, regional director of Care UK, reassured relatives of those in the home that staff are doing everything they can to keep residents safe.

The home had its first case at the end of March, when a resident died in hospital.

A Care UK spokeswoman said the latest resident, who died on Monday, was living in the home and had symptoms that could indicate Covid-19, though no test had been done.