This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-52606985
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Coronavirus: Johnson accused of misleading MPs over care home advice | Coronavirus: Johnson accused of misleading MPs over care home advice |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson has been accused of misleading MPs over advice to care homes at the start of the coronavirus pandemic on controlling infections. | |
| Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that up until 12 March, care homes were being told it was "very unlikely" anyone would become infected. | Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that up until 12 March, care homes were being told it was "very unlikely" anyone would become infected. |
| The prime minister said "it wasn't true the advice said that". | The prime minister said "it wasn't true the advice said that". |
| Sir Keir has written to the PM to ask him to return to the Commons to correct the record. | Sir Keir has written to the PM to ask him to return to the Commons to correct the record. |
| A page on the government's website, which was withdrawn on 13 March, says: "This guidance is intended for the current position in the UK where there is currently no transmission of COVID-19 in the community. | A page on the government's website, which was withdrawn on 13 March, says: "This guidance is intended for the current position in the UK where there is currently no transmission of COVID-19 in the community. |
| "It is therefore very unlikely that anyone receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected." | "It is therefore very unlikely that anyone receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected." |
| In his letter to Mr Johnson after the Prime Minister's Questions exchange, the Labour leader said: "At this time of national crisis it is more important than ever that government ministers are accurate in the information they give." | |
| He added that: "I expect you to come to the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity to correct the record." | He added that: "I expect you to come to the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity to correct the record." |
| 'Too slow' | |
| It came as the prime minister announced an extra £600m to fight coronavirus infections at care homes in England. | It came as the prime minister announced an extra £600m to fight coronavirus infections at care homes in England. |
| Mr Johnson said the government had brought in the lockdown in care homes ahead of the general lockdown but that there was "unquestionably an appalling epidemic" in that setting. | Mr Johnson said the government had brought in the lockdown in care homes ahead of the general lockdown but that there was "unquestionably an appalling epidemic" in that setting. |
| He added that the number of causalities in care homes had been "too high", but that "the number of outbreaks is down and the number of fatalities well down". | He added that the number of causalities in care homes had been "too high", but that "the number of outbreaks is down and the number of fatalities well down". |
| But Sir Keir said the government had been "too slow to protect people in care homes", after figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed at least 40% of Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales occurred in care homes. | |
| 'Most vulnerable' | |
| And he asked asked Mr Johnson to account for 10,000 "unexplained" excess deaths in care homes in April, recorded by the ONS. | |
| Mr Johnson said there "is much more to do but we are making progress" on reducing the pandemic in care homes. | |
| Sir Keir quoted a cardiologist who had told the Daily Telegraph newspaper that hospitals had "actively seeded" the virus into the "most vulnerable" population by discharging "known, suspected and unknown cases into care homes". | |
| Mr Johnson said: "The number of discharges from hospitals into care homes went down in March and April and we had a system of testing people going into care homes and that testing is now being ramped up." |