The number of people dying in care homes soared by 61 per cent during March and April as the Covid-19 outbreak gripped England and Wales, government data revealed today.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures showed hospital deaths fell by 21 per cent between March 7 and May 1, while they rose 43 per cent in private homes.
In a first-of-its-kind report, statisticians said undiagnosed cases were a ‘likely explanation’ for many of the 13,000 excess deaths not directly linked to Covid-19.