“Government failings allowed Covid 'to spread like wildfire' in care homes, inquiry finds”

Key points

• The Covid inquiry's sixth report cites care settings as an early afterthought.
• There were over 43,000 Covid-related deaths in care homes between March 2020 and July 2022.
• Shortages of PPE and hospital discharges into care homes were major issues identified.
• Visit restrictions harmed residents' health and wellbeing, with blame shared across systems.
• Experts warn testing and financial support were insufficient for carers at the outset.