476 DEAD.. NOW TESTING STARTS IN CARE HOMES

» Staff & patients will get checked by next month » Fresh hope UK vaccine to be ready by autumn

STORMONT has finally announced mass testing in care and nursing homes – as Covid-19 deaths hit 476.

Health Minister Robin Swann, left, said staff and residents will be tested from June – more than two months after lockdown began. It was also revealed yesterday the UK may have a vaccine by September.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said the taxpayer was pumping a further £84million into its development.

He added: “[If it works] people in the UK will get the first access to it, helping to protect thousands of lives.”

ALL residents and staff in Northern Ireland’s care homes will have Covid-19 tests made available to them from June.

The move was announced last night – almost two months after lockdown was brought in across the UK.

A further seven people died in the 48 hours to yesterday taking the number of confirmed fatalities in Northern Ireland to 476.

A detailed breakdown was not available yesterday with civil servants blaming the issue on a computer glitch.

The UK recorded its lowest death toll since the day after lockdown began, at 170.

And it was revealed millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine could be available in Britain by September.

Business Secretary Alok Sharma told the No10 press conference the Government was pumping another £84million into its development.

It includes £65.5million for work at Oxford University and £18.5million for Imperial College London.

Oxford University and drugs giant Astrazeneca signed a global licensing deal yesterday to produce and sell their potential vaccine.

Clinical trials are progressing well, Mr Sharma said, adding: “This deal with Astrazeneca means if the Oxford University vaccine works, people in the UK will get the first access to it, helping to protect thousands of lives.

“The agreement will deliver 100 million doses in total, ensuring that in addition to supporting our own people, we are able to make the vaccines available to developing countries at the lowest possible cost.”

However, he admitted it was possible a vaccine would never be found. Researchers at Imperial will move into clinical trials by mid-june, with larger-scale trials in October. The new tranche of care home testing is expected to start in two weeks.

And as it gets under way some of the country’s most frail and vulnerable will be able to have swab tests taken even if they are not presenting with Covid-19 symptoms and also if there has not been an outbreak in their facility.

The announcement made by Robin Swann last night ended with a stark warning.

He said: “Testing is not a solution to the Covid-19 threat in care homes.”

However, by Saturday they confirmed 38,329 people had been tested for the virus and 4,357 had returned positive results including 1,960 aged 60 and over.

Mr Swann predicted there will be difficulties testing in care homes.

He said: “Testing right across the care home sector is easier to

demand than to deliver. It has always been my intention to over-deliver rather than to over-promise.

“Following detailed planning and preparatory work, I can now confirm that testing will be available to all residents and staff. There are some important sensitivities to be addressed.

“There are human rights considerations where residents may not consent to be tested or may not be able to consent – for reasons such as dementia.

“The swab test for Covid-19 can be an unpleasant and intrusive process, so there are also issues in relation to subjecting frail older persons to swabbing, particularly in homes where there are no outbreaks.”

The Department of Health said care home staff and families have access to testing if they have symptoms”.

It added: “All staff and residents are also tested in homes when two or more people – staff or residents – have symptoms, as this is a possible outbreak scenario.”

The “next phase” will involve a rolling programme of testing for all residents and staff in care homes which do not have, and have not had an outbreak, with the aim of helping to keep these homes free of Covid-19.

Mr Swann said: “It has to be emphasised once again that testing is not a solution to the Covid-19 threat in care homes.

“It builds on the wider programme of support that has already been put in place, which includes staffing and financial support, PPE provision and robust infection prevention and control measures.” However Keith Grey whose mother lives in a care home said the measures have come too late.

He said “This is too late for too many.

“If you look at the figures for those people aged 60 and over and calculate the number as an average of deaths per day since March 23 when lockdown was announced, it is eight people a day.

“So by June 1 which is the earliest the new testing is set to start, we can say there could be an other 112 older people who will have died as a result of Covid-19.

“Our most vulnerable have been left like sitting ducks for eight full weeks before this announcement.

“And this virus has picked off more than 450 of them that we know about and goodness knows how many we don’t know about.

“I cannot praise Robin Swann or his advisors for this plan – it’s too late for too many.”

ANNOUNCEMENT Health Minister Robin Swann