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  • more light has been shed today on the human cost off the Corona virus pandemic across the United Kingdom.

  • The latest official figures for the first time include all deaths linked to the virus, including those in care homes on other community settings on they show that the pandemic has so far claimed nearly 4000 more lives than were being recorded under the previous system.

  • Now the latest figure over a 24 hour period is 765 deaths across the UK It means that the total number of deaths so far in the UK off those who tested positive for current virus is now 26,000 on 97.

  • Our health editor, Hugh Pym, has been studying these new figures on explains the implications happier times for Betty.

  • Celebrating her 97th birthday, she is now in critical care in hospital with Corona virus.

  • Her daughter, Andrea, says she picked up the virus in a nursing home, and testing at an earlier stage for residents and staff might have kept her safe.

  • I think it's a bit late.

  • I think that Corona virus, if the truth be known, is endemic in our nursing homes, on the people that are going to suffer the most are the elderly in the vulnerable, not to mention the staff Testing for all care.

  • Home residents and staff, including those without symptoms, has no being made available, either with kits sent to the homes or mobile units visiting them.

  • Managers say they need help running the testing, and it's urgently needed.

  • I do think that there is a a tsunami off deaths that were that we probably we may have been able to avoid.

  • Should we have had this testing a ball for a lot earlier?

  • Because the elderly do not.

  • They don't present in the classic way.

  • They don't normally have rip roaring temperatures.

  • They could be.

  • It could be quite insidious.

  • They just a bit off color.

  • I asked about the new care home testing plan, the Downing Street media briefing.

  • Couldn't testing really have started sooner than the scale?

  • And the speed of this epidemic is really in the last couple of weeks on?

  • There is a huge national and local endeavor to both not just test, which is very important, but to also understand the measures that would make a difference in care homes, Aunt to look about it in a very rapid way, looking at the evidence so that we can put in place.

  • Measures that protect people drive through testing or home kits have been made available to millions of others with symptoms including Heather, who did her swab test a Taunton today?

  • Because I'm a private carer.

  • I work for myself.

  • So I couldn't get tested before today.

  • And it is really important not May, but also from our clients.

  • Over 60 fives qualify for testing as well.

  • Like Mac and Anthea.

  • Well, we both have the symptoms for a few days on DSO.

  • Therefore, we really wanted to get checked symptoms had an increased, so we didn't need to phone the 111 But as soon as the test for over 65 which we are came available, we were quite happy to come and have the test.

  • Home test kits can be ordered online, but only by those with symptoms.

  • We haven't opened the packaging of this one, so it is safe for future use.

  • There are a couple of different types of home testing kit.

  • This is one of them.

  • Before you do anything you need to register online on book, The Free Korea Collection Service to come and pick it up.

  • Then you take the swab sample from your nose and throat, put it in the plastic container and then the packaging, and it's ready to be collected.

  • Slots for drive thru tests have been in high demand.

  • Home test kits ran out earlier today, but with new supplies are bookable again this evening.

  • The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has set a target of 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month.

  • And that's tomorrow.

  • Que Pym?

  • BBC news.

  • Well in Scotland, more than half of deaths linked a Corona virus are now happening in care homes, according to the latest figures from the National Records of Scotland.

  • Our correspondent, Lorna Gordon, is in Glasgow with the latest details for US issue.

  • These figures show that the number of people dying from confirmed or suspected Corona virus in care homes has overtaken the number of people dying in hospitals here in Scotland.

  • For the first time since the outbreak began, just over 1/3 of a walkover related deaths in Scotland have bean in care homes but weak on weeks of the number of deaths and care homes has continued to rise.

  • And that means that the figures show that in the seven days up to Sunday, more than half of all those who have been dying from confirmed or suspected Corona virus were Kurt Care home residents.

  • That equates to one cove.

  • It related death in a care home every 30 minutes.

  • Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said the proportion of deaths was deeply distressing.

  • She said it was broadly in line with what's being reported in other countries.

  • He also today outlined the measures that's being taken to health care homes.

  • Opposition parties here they are calling for the Scottish government to go further with its support for homes.

  • But I think what these figures show, along with the news that another set of care homes, the skin care homes for ex servicemen on Duin Min reported that they've lost 24 of their residents to suspected Corona virus.

  • This confirms that if the virus does take hold in a care home, it can be devastating.

  • Lorna, Many thanks again, Lord of Gordon There for us in classical with me in the studio is our social affairs correspondent Alison.

  • Hold on for weeks.

  • Alison, you've been talking about the situation on the threat off the kind of crisis we're seeing now in care homes.

  • So if I was to ask you for the main factors which have led to this crisis, what would they be?

  • Well, it's first off important to remember that we are talking about Cam's looking after some of the most vulnerable older and disabled people in society.

  • On across Europe, there have been issues over Ah, high number of deaths in care homes.

  • But in England in particular, this is a system that has bean under pressure, underfunded ending crisis for a long time.

  • Now it's also fragmented.

  • More than 15,000 care homes summer are privately owned, some not for profits, a few run by local authorities.

  • More than 400,000 residents, about half pay for their own care, about half a publicly funded.

  • So it is complicated on when I look back at my reports right at the beginning of fall of this, we had care providers saying off peopIe are protective equipments being diverted to the NHS.

  • We need more testing of staff and residents on their voices have become increasingly desperate as the weeks have going on.

  • Unlike the NHS, there is no single powerful voice for social care, no one arguing their case, no one shaping a national response to a national crisis on whilst the increase in testing that's coming now is welcome.

  • There are many care providers who say it's simply too late On in time, there will be some really important questions We need to ask about what needs to be done differently, how we integrate social care into a wider health and care system and proper properly recognize what they do.

  • Alison.

  • Many thanks again.

  • I was not there for us, our social affairs correspondent.

more light has been shed today on the human cost off the Corona virus pandemic across the United Kingdom.

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