Liz Kendall MP, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Social Care, commenting on the ONS statistics showing a large increase in Covid-19 deaths in care homes, said:

“This shows the terrible toll that Coronavirus is having on elderly and disabled people in care homes.

“Yet these awful figures are only scratching the surface of the emerging crisis in social care, because they are already 11 days out of date.

“The Government must now publish daily figures of Covid-19 deaths outside hospital, including in care homes, so we know the true scale of the problem. This is essential to tackling the spread of the virus, ensuing social care has the resources it needs and getting vital PPE and testing to care workers on the frontline.”