There would be, on average, around 100,000 deaths in the UK.

But the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that there have bean on additional 55,000 deaths in the UK during that period, all of them directly or indirectly related to the pandemic.

It's known that just over 41,000 deaths were directly related to the virus as recorded on death certificates.

The latest figures also show more than 11.5 1000 people in care homes have died with Corona virus since the beginning off March, Our correspondent Alex Forsyth reports.

Now from a care home in rugby, the scale of this pandemic is becoming increasingly clear.

The number of deaths still growing, although the rate at least now slowing behind every figure of face, every statistic a human story Of those who died so far more than 1/4 were in care homes.

This family run home in Warwickshire had an outbreak last month.

One resident did die, but staff were able to control the spread of the virus, although managers say they had little government guidance or support.

Not that point.

The measures were in place to protect the residents in the South.

The testing wasn't there, were very lucky from management and staff that it didn't.

It wasn't a lot worse.

What about now?

Have things improved?

I'm I haven't seen much of a difference at the moment.

We've really made our own decisions on.

We still really haven't had much more from the government here.

They're still waiting for all staff and residents to be tested.

Still saying the systems to slow concerns reflected by care leaders this morning in a meeting with M P's, they were critical of PP supply testing facilities, The national strategy.

Our focus at the start of this pandemic was clearly the any chest on.

There was not a recognition in either the planning process that happened in 2016 or indeed, in this current pandemic at the very stars mitt that the most vulnerable people were in care homes.

Some of our problems around transmission no doubt are relating to pee pee, and very sadly, some of the debts to this has been a health pandemic and what we haven't felt in the care sector is that we've had a health response through.

State health secretary again today defended the government's approach.

Despite the claims to the contrary, he said again that put a protective ring around care homes from the start, we worked hard to protect those in social care.

In early March, we put £3.2 billion into social care, half through the NHS and half.

Three local authorities on would repeatedly set out and strengthened guidance for infection control and support across the country.

The care system is complex, made up of local, national, public and private elements.

The government has put more money and measures in place in recent weeks, but the criticism is still.

The support isn't always guessing where it's needed quickly and now some care providers say they're under financial pressure.

This care home in North Yorkshire is one of four in a group where extra costs from Corona virus Andi empty beds is making money tight, according to the owner, who also speaks for the sector.

We calculated that we're going to re around £100,000 short and income and that is a difference between us surviving his visit and not surviving.

The issue is we got the NHL from nationally, local authorities running locally.

That's why we got a problem with PP testing and finances.

It's all a mess.

Basically, we need to make sure we plan and have it centrally.

In my view, Century organized.

This crisis has exposed issues in a sector that's long been under strain.

The cause now and not just for continued short term support but a longer term solution to Alex Forsyth.

BBC News.

Let's turn them to The issue of testing on the number of cove in 19 tests carried out since the beginning of the outbreak has bean inadequate, according to a parliamentary committee at Westminster.

The Common Science and Technology Committee has criticized the government for failing to deliver a much more efficient testing system much sooner.

But ministers have defended their strategy, saying it was right during the early period to prioritize those in hospital over community cases.

As our health correspondent Sophie Hutchinson tells us, a new mobile testing center in Cornwall to help deliver the government's promise to test everyone over the age of five with symptoms of covert 19.

But MPs on the Science and Technology Committee say testing capacity has not been increased early or boldly enough.

Back in March, this was the message from the World Health Organization.

We have a simple message for all countries test test test.

But three days before the UK announced it had stopped testing all suspected cases in the community, we will pivot all of the testing capacity toe identifying people in hospitals who have got symptoms so we can pick them up early.

In a letter to the prime minister, MP said they believed a lack of testing capacity had driven the government strategy.

They criticized Public Health England for failing to provide the scientific evidence used when deciding not to bring in mass testing.

They said the cost of the ongoing lock down was vastly greater than the cost of rolling out large scale testing on that.

By not regularly testing hospital staff and care workers, vulnerable people have been put at risk.

Many care homes say that they're still struggling to get all the tests they need to ensure that staff aren't infectious.

Problems with testing is obvious, as as you know, as the national picture shows and you know it's not safe and how they can say that.

You know, they're going to start running out to five year olds and everybody in the country.

I just don't think got capacity there.

I think you probably rather a bit of honesty from the government, really.

And one prominent public health expert said the U.

K's testing strategy had been badly handled.

You have an incoherent on a chaotic strategy towards both testing APS and also the contact tracing its all centralized top down a today's briefing, the environment secretary defended the government's testing strategy.

Your strategy has been based on capacity rather than the science.

We were building it very rapidly from a very from a very early stage and we haven't got to the point.

A smattering can't pointed out this week that we can offer test to anybody over the age of five with symptoms, and that's gonna be pretty critical in terms of developing that track and trace capability.

Ministers say they've recruited more than 20,000 contact traces, toe, identify infections and hot spots of the virus.

But one has told the BBC the tracker APP wasn't working yet on won't go live until Thursday.

There are clearly ongoing challenges to the government's testing strategy.

Sophie Hutchins and BBC News.

That's cool.

Like to Westminster tonight in our chief political correspondent, Vicki Young Vicky, yet more severe criticism of the government, not just on testing but on care homes as well.

What's the response being?

Yeah, I mean, they are facing real scrutiny over all of this.

On it is, of course, partly about blame.

There's a real sense of tension today between ministers saying that we listen to the scientists on the scientists angle on things like testing.

There was no point in recommending a mass testing program if the system isn't in place to deal with it.

But it's not just about blame.

It is about learning from mistakes.

And we heard that loud and clear today from the care sector.

You could just hear their frustration and their anger.

Really, they've thought for some time that there's been too much focus on hospitals on the NHS care homes really are just a bit of an afterthought, they think to need to be far more integrated now, of course, that is nothing new.

We have heard ministers talk about that for years, but it simply has never happened.

Now I think this epidemic has exposed serious flaws in the system.

And I think now that long term aspiration really to integrate health and social care well, that's really becoming very urgent.

Priority Vicky.

Many thanks again, Vicky Young there for us at Westminster.