CHESHIRE East Council’s leader says the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for care workers in the coronavirus pandemic is a ‘national disgrace’.

In his daily Twitter video this morning, April 2, Cllr Sam Corcoran says the situation is leaving care staff with difficult decisions to make about who they can and cannot care for because they do not have the right equipment.

The Labour group leader is urging the Government to make sure that care staff across the country have enough PPE to do their jobs during the Covid-19 crisis.

He said: “There is a shortage. The Government keeps saying that it has sent it, or that it is coming, but it is not arriving. Our care workers need to have proper PPE.

Northwich Guardian:

“It is not a nice decision to have to make as to whether an elderly person – who needs care, who needs help getting out of bed, who needs help making their meals – whether they should receive that care or whether the person refuses to go in because they don’t have the PPE.”

The council leader also hit out at Government over a ‘failure’ to do enough testing for Covid-19.

There have now been 76 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Cheshire East, as recorded cases increased by two in the last 24 hours.

Cllr Corcoran added: “I think that small increase says more about the amount of testing that is going on, rather than the amount of infection.

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“I think it is a national issue. The Government says it is due to a shortage of chemicals, but the widespread chemical industry in this country says that they can provide enough chemicals.”

Residents are urged not to buy test kits online due to a recent spike in scammers providing fake tests and a lack of accurate tests for those who need them most.

The Department for Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.