Fifth of care homes in West Lindsey hit by coronavirus

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that "awful" epidemics in care homes and the NHS had to be reversed, and that the emphasis on testing must remain to keep pushing infections down nationally.

Public Health England (PHE) data reveals that, of the 44 care homes in West Lindsey, nine had reported a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19 up to May 3.

It means that 21 per cent of residential and nursing homes had been hit by the virus.

However, PHE says the data contains no indication of whether the reported outbreaks are still active.

The rate in West Lindsey is lower than across the rest of the East Midlands, where 29 per cent of care homes have been affected so far. Across England, the figure is 33 per cent reported cases.

Visits to care homes from families and friends have significantly reduced during the lockdown in order to protect vulnerable residents, while inspections by the Care Quality Commission have been paused for most residences.

But separate figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal more than a fifth of coronavirus-related deaths in England and Wales up to April 24 had occurred in care homes.

The Department of Health and Social Care said last week it was supporting the adult social care sector through the outbreak, following concerns that frontline care workers were struggling to access Covid-19 tests and personal protective equipment.

However Nicola Richards, director of Sheffield-based care home group Palms Row Health Care, said the sector is “on a cliff edge”, with homes across the UK facing closure as they spend an extra £38.6 million per week on Covid-19 costs.

“Care homes provide a vital national service and instead of being fully resourced we are facing a three-wave tsunami which could destroy the sector. We should have been afforded the focus, support and protection like the NHS. Sadly, care homes have taken the full force of the impact of this pandemic because of Government policy and this could yet get worse."