The government’s infection control fund is due to wind down at the end of this monthCare homes are on the brink of losing the emergency government funding that has allowed their staff to abide by self-isolation rules without losing pay. The government has urged care homes to be on the alert as testing shows rising levels of coronavirus infections among staff and residents. Care home leaders said last night, however, that if the government’s infection control fund was not renewed before Wednesday, care home managers would not be able to guarantee full-time staff that they can self-isolate for 14 days, in line with government guidance, without facing financial penalties. The £600 million fund has also allowed some homes to avoid using agency staff, who may move between homes, potentially carrying infections from one site to another. The fund is due

Source: The Times September 13, 2020 23:06 UTC