The number of coronavirus-related deaths in care homes in England and Wales between April 11 and 15 could be double that of the 1,043 deaths involving Covid-19 registered up to 10 April.
The warning came from the Department of Health (DoH) and Care Quality Commission (CQC) who are working with the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) to provide "a more detailed and timely picture of the impact of Covid-19 on adult social care".
The ONS said on Tuesday there were 1,662 deaths involving Covid-19 in England and Wales registered up to April 10 which occurred outside hospitals.
Of these, 1,043 took place in care homes. In a statement, the CQC and DoH said: "The ONS data published yesterday covers the period until April 10. "CQC's current