There was a massive surge in the number of people who died of the coronavirus in care homes in England this month – with one estimate suggesting that the death toll doubled in just five days.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it also expects a ‘significant increase’ in the official number of care home deaths next week.
Only 975 nursing home fatalities were recorded by the Office for National Statistics up to April 10.
That is just 10% of the total deaths up to that point.
But the CQC, the official Government regulator, is now asking care homes to record suspected COVID-19 victims as well those confirmed with lab tests.
The numbers of people dying with the coronavirus in care homes have shot up since the Office for National Statistics started recording them in mid-March.
The Department of Health and CQC warned in a joint statement that they expect the number of care home deaths spike even higher next week.