Lack of a ‘protective ring’ around care homes meant our loved ones died of Covid | Letters

Diane La Rosa and Teresa Pacey-Devlin on the deaths of their fathers during the pandemic. Plus more letters responding to the Covid inquiry from John Robinson, David Flood and James Townsend

My dad was in a care home when Covid hit in March 2020 and visits were stopped (UK government failures led to Covid spreading ‘like wildfire’ in care homes, inquiry finds, 20 October). It was heartbreaking not being able to see him, and talking to him via phone was almost impossible. I couldn’t see how Covid wouldn’t spread to the home as there wasn’t any testing at that point. He was a sitting duck and there was nothing I could do.

In late April 2020, when I had been calling all day, eventually someone answered and told me they were too busy to talk. The next day when I called, I was told Dad wasn’t feeling very well. I asked if there was Covid in the home: they were honest and said there was. I was distraught.