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Sky News has uncovered data showing that in at least one part of the UK, COVID-19 nursing home cases have surpassed spring levels.
The data will raise fears that Britain has for the second time failed to protect the care sector, which faced an excess of 27,000 deaths of mostly elderly residents in England and Wales, nearly half the death toll. in the spring.
Statistics seen by Sky News, compiled by the NHS for internal monitoring, show that the number of assets COVID-19 cases in nursing homes in Leeds topped 200 earlier this week. This is considerably higher than the peak of 160 active cases recorded in May.
The data show that not only the absolute level of home care COVID-19 Cases in Leeds at a record high, case growth is also increasing faster than in the spring.
Cases have doubled every three days for the past fifteen days and show little sign of slowing down.
The news is the latest blow to the Department of Health and Social Assistance, which had pledged to ensure that those who work and live in nursing homes are better protected in the event of a second wave.
They assigned more PPE to workers and provided more testing for nursing homes, in the hope that they would not face the surge in cases and deaths seen in the spring.
However, these data underscore that in at least one pocket of the country, community COVID cases now appear to have spread to the care sector.
Leeds was already facing a sharp increase in community cases and hospitalizations, and NHS data showed that the number of COVID patients in the hospital has now equaled the spring peak.
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However, while many of the first cases in Leeds occurred among young people and students, unpublished NHS data seen by Sky News shows that there are now 34 nursing homes in the area facing outbreaks, many with multiple infections. This is near the peak in the spring.
Insiders said part of the explanation for the big jump in the cases was that more testing is underway in the West Yorkshire area.
It is also understood that most of these cases occur among nursing home staff and not among residents; however, the precise breakdown is unclear.
The number of active COVID cases in nursing homes in Leeds surpassed 200 earlier this week
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Welfare said: “Our first priority remains infection prevention in nursing homes to protect staff and residents, and we are constantly monitoring and responding to the latest figures.
“That is why we have introduced regular tests for staff and residents, providing more than 120,000 tests daily to the care sector.
“Our Adult Social Care Winter Plan supports nursing homes by allocating a total of £ 1.1 billion to infection control measures, along with free PPE and detailed guidance.
“Stopping the movement of staff within and between care settings is also critical to minimizing the risk of COVID-19 infection, and providers should limit staff movements unless absolutely necessary.”
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Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton told Sky News: “This increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in our city’s nursing homes is extremely concerning.
“Given the obvious vulnerability of nursing home residents to this virus, it is absolutely vital that the government implement a proper winter care home plan so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.”
He continued: “Until now, the government has failed to protect the elderly during this crisis and it is time it made social care a priority for the difficult months ahead.”
“Labor shadow social care minister Liz Kendall wrote to Health Secretary Matt Hancock last month warning him of this exact situation.
“He made it clear that we must conduct rapid, weekly testing of care staff, appropriate personal protective equipment, and urgent additional support so families can safely visit the care home.
“The responsibility rests solely with the government and it must act to ensure that the elderly are protected from this terrible virus.”
