Image copyright
Getty Images
A woman takes a photo of her relative during the lockdown in May, when visits were banned
The British government has announced that care homes in England will receive an additional £ 546 million in funding to try to reduce transmission of the Coronavirus during the winter season.
The money helps pay workers full wages when they are in self-isolation, and ensures that caregivers only work in one nursing home, reducing the spread of the virus.
The fund was established in May and has been extended through March 2021.
In an interview with The SunThe prime minister warned that family visits to nursing homes may also need to be restricted.
“I fear it is very difficult, but we will have to impose some restrictions on people – visitors – who can go to nursing homes,” said Boris Johnson.
- Care homes in England have warned of rising infections
- Processing the test delays the “first” priority
The funding allows for funds to help care workers reduce their use of public transportation and to stock up on personal protective equipment, according to Mr Johnson.
Health Minister Matt Hancock told the House of Commons that the government would do “everything humanly possible” to protect care homes “so that they become a safe haven this winter.”
In a previous statement, he said the additional funding would bring “peace of mind” to many in the social welfare sector.
It brings total funding for infection control measures in care homes in England to more than 1.1 billion pounds, after this sector. Received 600 million pounds sterling in May.
Each country commissioned for nursing homes in May totaled £ 113m in funding.
Media playback is not supported on your device
Advertising comes in New coronavirus restrictions are expected to be announced in the north-east of EnglandCases were on the rise.
Later in the House of Commons, Labor’s shadow health minister, Jonathan Ashworth, asked Hancock to ensure that care homes “would not face the same shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE)” and raised concerns about “massive harm” to residents due to the restrictions imposed. On family visits.
The health minister said the government has a plan to ensure care homes have access to personal protective equipment, which will be outlined in this week’s adult social care winter plan.
In July, nursing homes in England were allowed to reopen again for family visits – as long as local authorities and public health teams said they were safe. There has been a similar reopening of homes in Scotland, Wells And northern Ireland.
However, many nursing homes have yet to fully reopen – including with strict rules in place on visitors and / or banned altogether.
Image copyright
Getty Images
In Edinburgh, families protested against ‘harsh’ care home visitation rules
As the ministers promised To make people in care homes a priority for coronavirus testing Along with the NHS – amid ongoing issues with the UK’s testing system.
The increased demand for coronavirus tests has led to a local shortage, as many people have reported problems securing reservations online and They are directed to test sites hundreds of miles from home.
The large Lighthouse Labs, run by the government to analyze test swabs from all UK countries, have been under pressure to process them all.
Mr. Hancock will announce who will be given priority for exams in the coming days.
- What is wrong with the Corona virus test?
- How do I get a coronavirus test?
His colleague in the government, Health Minister Edward Argar, told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that the official directive “will give priority to frontline health care workers, teachers and the like.”
He said, “It is possible that there are people with symptoms who come to get tested and they have to wait longer because we are prioritizing the key frontline workers we need to keep the national health care system and our care system functioning.”
There has been a sharp drop in the speed of the test switch in England, according to the latest test and tracking numbers, with only a third (33%) of people recovering their results within 24 hours of taking the test – down from two-thirds last week.
18,371 people tested positive for the new coronavirus in England in the week ending September 9.
Coronavirus has swept care homes in the UK during the height of the outbreak Tens of thousands of dead.
Office for National Statistics figures published in July show that nearly 30,000 nursing home residents in England and Wales died during the coronavirus outbreak compared to the same period in 2019. But only two-thirds of them were directly attributable to Covid-19.
According to the figures, there were just over 66,000 deaths among nursing home residents in England and Wales between March 2 and June 12 this year, compared to just over 37,000 deaths last year.
