£2.2m to help control coronavirus in Blackpool care homes

The cash is part of a £600m national Infection Control Fund set up by Government to reduce transmission of the virus in care homes and will be distributed by Blackpool Council.

It will be used to roll out training on infection control to staff at Blackpool's 72 care homes, reduce transmission by helping ensure staff only work at one care home and increase clinical support from the NHS.

Prime minister Boris Johnson announced the extra funding last week, but councils have only just found out how much each area will receive.

Blackpool South MP Scott Benton said: "Care staff are the heroes of this pandemic – working tirelessly to support those in our community who need it the most.

“I do not underestimate how challenging a time this is for people living and working in care.

"This new funding will make a real different to local care homes in Blackpool South.

“By putting in place stronger prevention, we can ensure that we continue to drive coronavirus out of our care homes, making them safer and better able to look after people who need it the most.”

Blackpool Council leader Coun Simon Blackburn also welcomed the additional funding.

He said: "This is extremely good news. I visited staff at the Blackpool Centre for Independent Living, on Whitegate Drive last week.

"They are working incredibly hard to support all 72 care homes in Blackpool, and this money will assist their efforts."

Nearly 10,000 people have died from coronavirus in care homes in England and Wales, figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest.

Research has found in some areas the disease was being spread by carers moving between different homes they worked in.