A week ago, I gave a list on Newsnight which explained why the situation in care homes was so bad.

1. Pressure to accept Covid patients from hospitals
2. PPE
3. Patchy testing regime
4. Agency staff
5. No sick pay

To a greater or lesser extent, all of these problems still exist https://twitter.com/bbcnewsnight/status/1257806195143958529

That’s partly why, as I reported last night, the number of total deaths in care homes has increased from 5.8% of the care home population in England and Wales, to 7.3% in five weeks.

at the risk of repeating myself (I don’t care) What’s bewildering is that at least one of them, sick pay, could be solved easily. Spend any time talking to carers and they’ll tell you the lack of it is a major source of transmission because they have to go to work with symptoms.

The crisis has once again highlighted the gross inequalities between care and the NHS. NHS workers get decent sick pay. Carers don’t. Generally speaking, though v imperfect, NHS PPE has been better. We’re seeing the effects of these inequalities in their respective death figures.