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Boris Johnson has told MPs that the Government is making an additional £600 million available for infection control in care homes.
Mr Johnson said the number of deaths in care homes “has been too high”, but the number of outbreaks and fatalities is “well down”.
Opening Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons, Sir Keir Starmer quoted Government advice from March which reportedly said “it remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home will become infected”.
“Yesterday’s ONS figures show that at least 40 per cent of all deaths from Covid-19 were in care homes,” Sir Keir said. “Does the Prime Minister accept that the Government was too slow to protect people in care homes?”
UK returns to work as Coronavirus restrictions are eased – In pictures
1/29
Londoners returning to work near London Bridge
Jeremy Selwyn
2/29
Emergency as Lockdown is slowly lifted at Victoria Station
Nigel Howard
3/29
Cyclists travel in central London
AFP via Getty Images
4/29
Emergency as Lockdown is slowly lifted at Victoria Station
Nigel Howard
5/29
Alan Price on his Penny Farthing this morning on Battersea Bridge
Jeremy Selwyn
6/29
Delivery men are seen outside a reopened McDonald’s with take-out only deliveries in Dalston
Reuters
7/29
Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases
Nigel Howard
8/29
Worlds End Nurseries in Chelsea opens for business. Customer Nika Kucifer is shown flowers by Janson Lotery
Nigel Howard
9/29
Londoners going back to work at Waterloo
Jeremy Selwyn
10/29
People ride bicycles in a cycle lane in Chelsea
PA
11/29
Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases
Nigel Howard
12/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
13/29
Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases
Nigel Howard
14/29
Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases.
Nigel Howard
15/29
Matt Writtle
16/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
17/29
Vehicles are seen on the M56 motorway near Manchester,
Reuters
18/29
Londoners going back to work at Waterloo
Jeremy Selwyn
19/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
20/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
21/29
Monty’s first day back. West Highland Terrier Monty commutes to work on his bike on his first day back with owner Darragh McElroy. Monty, who’s Instagram account is @monty_whitehall_westie, works at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall with his owner Darragh who is Deputy Director of Coronavirus Communications at the Cabinet Office
Matt Writtle
22/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
23/29
A commuter wears a mask at Canning Town station
Reuters
24/29
Rush hour on the M6 at the junction for Birmingham/Walsall on the first morning of the eased Coronavirus lockdown
PA
25/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
26/29
Commuters, some wearing masks are seen on a London Underground tube, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease
Reuters
27/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
28/29
Commuters, some wearing masks are seen at Stratford station,
Reuters
29/29
Cyclists in Chelsea today.
Nigel Howard
1/29
Londoners returning to work near London Bridge
Jeremy Selwyn
2/29
Emergency as Lockdown is slowly lifted at Victoria Station
Nigel Howard
3/29
Cyclists travel in central London
AFP via Getty Images
4/29
Emergency as Lockdown is slowly lifted at Victoria Station
Nigel Howard
5/29
Alan Price on his Penny Farthing this morning on Battersea Bridge
Jeremy Selwyn
6/29
Delivery men are seen outside a reopened McDonald’s with take-out only deliveries in Dalston
Reuters
7/29
Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases
Nigel Howard
8/29
Worlds End Nurseries in Chelsea opens for business. Customer Nika Kucifer is shown flowers by Janson Lotery
Nigel Howard
9/29
Londoners going back to work at Waterloo
Jeremy Selwyn
10/29
People ride bicycles in a cycle lane in Chelsea
PA
11/29
Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases
Nigel Howard
12/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
13/29
Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases
Nigel Howard
14/29
Jubilee Line tube commuters as lockdown eases.
Nigel Howard
15/29
Matt Writtle
16/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
17/29
Vehicles are seen on the M56 motorway near Manchester,
Reuters
18/29
Londoners going back to work at Waterloo
Jeremy Selwyn
19/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
20/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
21/29
Monty’s first day back. West Highland Terrier Monty commutes to work on his bike on his first day back with owner Darragh McElroy. Monty, who’s Instagram account is @monty_whitehall_westie, works at the Cabinet Office in Whitehall with his owner Darragh who is Deputy Director of Coronavirus Communications at the Cabinet Office
Matt Writtle
22/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
23/29
A commuter wears a mask at Canning Town station
Reuters
24/29
Rush hour on the M6 at the junction for Birmingham/Walsall on the first morning of the eased Coronavirus lockdown
PA
25/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
26/29
Commuters, some wearing masks are seen on a London Underground tube, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease
Reuters
27/29
Londoners going back to work at Vauxhall
Jeremy Selwyn
28/29
Commuters, some wearing masks are seen at Stratford station,
Reuters
29/29
Cyclists in Chelsea today.
Nigel Howard
Mr Johnson replied: “No Mr Speaker it wasn’t true that the advice said that, and actually we brought the lockdown in care homes ahead of the general lockdown.”
He added: “And a huge exercise in testing is going on, a further £600 million I can announce today for infection control in care homes, and yes it is absolutely true that the number of casualties has been too high but I can tell the House, as I told (Sir Keir) last week and indeed this week, the number of outbreaks is down and the number of fatalities in care homes is now well down.”
Boris Johnson said there “is much more to do but we are making progress” on reducing the pandemic in care homes.
Responding to a question from Sir Keir about discharging known or suspected Covid-19 cases into care homes, Mr Johnson said the number of discharges from hospitals into care homes went down in March and April.
“And we had a system of testing people going into care homes and that testing is now being ramped up,” he said.
Sir Keir also asked for the Government’s view on the 10,000 “unexplained” excess deaths in care homes in April.
He said: “The ONS records the average number of deaths in care homes each month. The last five years the average for April has been just over 8,000.
“This year the number of deaths in care homes for April was a staggering 26,000 – that’s three times the average – 18,000 additional deaths this April.
“Using the Government’s figures only 8,000 are recorded as Covid deaths, that leaves 10,000 additional and unexplained care home deaths this April.
“Now I know the Government must have looked into this so can the Prime Minister give us the Government’s views on these unexplained deaths?”
Mr Johnson responded: “Coronavirus is an appalling disease which afflicts some groups far more than others, I think the whole country understands.
“And in particular the elderly, and he’s right to draw attention, as I said, to the tragedy that has been taking place in care homes.
“The Office of National Statistics is responsible for producing the data that they have, the Government had also produced data which not only shows that there has been, as I said, a terrible epidemic in care homes but since the care homes action plan began we are seeing an appreciable and substantial reduction, not just in the number of outbreaks but also in the number of deaths.”
One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus
1/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
2/19
Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
3/19
Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
4/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
5/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
6/19
Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
7/19
A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
8/19
Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute’s silence to honour UK key workers
AFP via Getty Images
9/19
A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street,
Reuters
10/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
11/19
Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
12/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
13/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
14/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
15/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
16/19
Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
17/19
National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, during a minute’s silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
18/19
Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
19/19
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
1/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
2/19
Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
3/19
Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
4/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
5/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
6/19
Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
7/19
A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
8/19
Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute’s silence to honour UK key workers
AFP via Getty Images
9/19
A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street,
Reuters
10/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
11/19
Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
12/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
13/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
14/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
15/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
16/19
Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
17/19
National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, during a minute’s silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
18/19
Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
19/19
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
Mr Johnson said the deaths of 144 NHS workers and 131 social care staff have been reported as involving Covid-19.
He also paid tribute to Belly Mujinga, a railway ticket office worker who died with coronavirus after being spat at while on duty
“Our thoughts are with their family and friends,” he said.
“Yesterday this House learnt of the tragic death of Belly Mujinga. The fact that she was abused for doing her job is utterly appalling.
“My thoughts, and I’m sure the thoughts of the whole House, are with her family.”
