London, Apr 14 () The deaths in the UK's care homes for the elderly and vulnerable add hundreds to the coronavirus fatalities in the country, according to official data released on Tuesday.
More than 11,300 people have died of COVID-19 in the country.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures on care home deaths show that 237 people died from coronavirus in care homes in England and Wales in the two weeks until April 3.
The ONS figures have a 10-day lag period and therefore that statistic is believed to be even higher, with the UK's Care Quality Commission (CQC) saying it will begin recording these deaths formally from this week.
"We are working with ONS and Public Health England to look at how to provide a more accurate and timely picture of the impact of COVID-19 on adult social care," said CQC, the regulator for the care sector.
"From this week, the death notifications we collect from providers will allow them to report whether the death was of a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19," it said.
It comes as charities warned that the UK's elderly were being ignored in the impact assessments related to the pandemic.
Age UK, Marie Curie, Care England, Independent Age and the Alzheimer's Society have collectively written to UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock to publish a comprehensive plan to support social care through the coronavirus pandemic.
"Older people's lives are not worthless. Care home staff are not second-class carers. The government must step in and make it clear that no one will be abandoned to this virus simply because of their age, condition or where they live," they note.
The government has revealed that there had been coronavirus outbreaks at more than 2,099 care homes in England, though the death toll remains unconfirmed.
The Department for Health says it is following the international standard by quoting the hospital figures each day.
The Opposition Labour Party has called on the government to publish daily figures of deaths in care homes to highlight the "true scale" of the spread of the deadly virus. AK CPS