The British government will include the deaths in retirement homes on Wednesday in its daily reports of the pandemic in the United Kingdom, which should worsen the already very heavy price paid by the country due to the coronavirus.
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One of the most affected European countries, the United Kingdom recorded on Tuesday 586 additional deaths from the coronavirus, marking an upsurge compared to the previous day and bringing the total toll to 21,678 in British hospitals. The number of contaminations officially recorded reaches 161 145 cases (+3996), said the Minister of Health, Matt Hancock, during a press conference. After the weakest balance sheet since the end of March Monday (+360 dead), this rebound is not a surprise: the daily figures of the Ministry of Health are very volatile and often mark a drop during the weekend due to delays in registration, followed by an upsurge.
Thousands of deaths in retirement homes estimated
This assessment does not include deaths at home and especially in retirement homes, estimated at several thousand, hence recurrent criticism criticizing the authorities for underestimating the reality of the disease. Matt Hancock announced that the number of deaths related to the new coronavirus in retirement homes or at home would now be published daily, despite the difficulties encountered in compiling these data in more than 15,000 establishments.
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This should translate into a marked increase in the balance sheet in the United Kingdom. In the two weeks from April 10 to 24, 4,343 people died of Covid-19 disease in England alone, the National Statistics Office (ONS) said on Tuesday. The number of contaminations should also increase: the minister indicated that tests will now be available for residents and asymptomatic staff of retirement homes, as well as for those over 65 with symptoms and workers in front leave their home. Matt Hancock confirmed the objective of his government, criticized for its timid initial response to the pandemic, to test 100,000 people daily from the end of April.