"Social care remains on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus and excess deaths in care homes continues to be higher than the five-year average, compared to hospitals which have seen a decline, leaving our older people and most vulnerable at risk."
Responding to the latest ONS figures on coronavirus deaths, which show that deaths involving COVID-19 as a percentage of all deaths in care homes decreased to 17.3 per cent in the week to 12 June, compared with 23.4 per cent in the previous week, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Our thoughts go out to those family and friends who have lost loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. Each of these figures represents another life tragically lost to this dreadful disease.
“While the total number of deaths due to coronavirus continues to thankfully go down, it is seriously concerning that nearly a third of these still happen in care homes.
“Social care remains on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus and excess deaths in care homes continues to be higher than the five-year average, compared to hospitals which have seen a decline, leaving our older people and most vulnerable at risk.
“Councils are doing all they can to protect those in care homes, as well as those receiving care in their own homes. Every council in England has prepared plans on how to support all care homes in their areas to control and prevent future infection outbreaks, working alongside the NHS locally and with Public Health England.
“The Government needs to ensure that councils and social care services have all the resources they need for the weeks and months ahead. The LGA is working closely with the new National COVID-19 Social Care Support Taskforce to tackle these issues and help guide social care through this current crisis and beyond.”