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A leading industry body fears as many as 7,500 people have died after contracting coronavirus in care homes across the country.

Care England, which represents independent care firms, said it had collected data which suggested fatalities are far higher than those released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – who recorded 217 care home deaths from the virus up until April 3.

Chief executive Prof Martin Green told the Telegraph: “If we look at some of the death rates since April 1 and compare them with previous years’ rates, we estimate a figure of about 7,500 people may have died as a result of Covid-19.”

But he added that “without testing, it was very difficult to give an absolute figure” on care home deaths.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has promised data on residents who die with the illness will be available “very shortly”.

Read more Fears grow over protective equipment on virus frontline- LIVE

The pledge comes after experts called for care home deaths to be included in the daily tally amid fears they are going “under the radar”.

They currently are not listed every day and there have been lags in reported figures for several weeks because the process relies on death certificates, which must be registered and processed.

Earlier this week, the head of Public Health England, Professor Yvonne Doyle, said agencies were working towards producing “much more rapid data, preferably on a daily basis”.

Public Health England said there were 3,084 care homes with Covid-19 outbreaks in England, as of April 15.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) began collecting data on deaths linked to Covid-19 which occurred in both hospitals and care homes on Thursday, Mr Hancock said.

He told the Health and Social Care Committee on Friday: “I’m concerned about this as well; I asked CQC to make sure that we record the data in care homes specifically, of those who are residents of care homes, whether they die in hospital or in the care home, and they started collecting that data yesterday and it will be published very shortly.”

Mr Hancock did not specify precisely when, or how often, this data will be published.

The news comes after ministers forbid the use of "blanket" Do Not Resuscitate agreements that were seen as condemning elderly people to die without proper treatment for coronavirus.

The CQC was instructed to contact homes “urgently” telling them to tear up any agreements that would stop residents getting access to full healthcare if they choose it.​

The World on Coronavirus lockdown 45 show all The World on Coronavirus lockdown 1/45 Getty Images 2/45 A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters 3/45 Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP 4/45 A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images 5/45 Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images 6/45 Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images 7/45 View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images 8/45 Rome AFP via Getty Images 9/45 An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images 10/45 Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images 11/45 A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters 12/45 Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images 13/45 Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images 14/45 Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images 15/45 The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images 16/45 Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images 17/45 An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP 18/45 Venice Beach, California Getty Images 19/45 Los Angeles, California Getty Images 20/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 21/45 Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images 22/45 Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters 23/45 A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images 24/45 Caracas AFP via Getty Images 25/45 Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images 26/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 27/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 28/45 A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images 29/45 Florida Keys AP 30/45 The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP 31/45 The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP 32/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 33/45 A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images 34/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 35/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 36/45 Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters 37/45 An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images 38/45 The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images 39/45 Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images 40/45 An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images 41/45 A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP 42/45 A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters 43/45 Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images 44/45 A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA 45/45 Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA 1/45 Getty Images 2/45 A UK government public health campaign is displayed in Piccadilly Circus Reuters 3/45 Chinese paramilitary police and security officers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the new coronavirus as they stand guard outside an entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing AP 4/45 A usually busy 42nd Street is seen nearly empty in New York AFP via Getty Images 5/45 Bondi Beach, Australia Getty Images 6/45 Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images 7/45 View of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer that reads "Thank you" as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic Getty Images 8/45 Rome AFP via Getty Images 9/45 An Indian man paddles his bicycle in front of a mural depicting the globe covered in a mask, as India remains under an unprecedented lockdown over the highly contagious coronavirus Getty Images 10/45 Aerial view of the empty 9 de Julio avenue in Buenos Aires in Argentina AFP via Getty Images 11/45 A view of an empty Grand Canal Reuters 12/45 Las Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain Getty Images 13/45 Aerial view of the empty Central cemetery in Bogota, Columbia AFP via Getty Images 14/45 Miami, Florida AFP via Getty Images 15/45 The facade of the Palacio de Lopez (seat of the government palace) AFP via Getty Images 16/45 Aerial view of the empty Simon Bolivar park in Bogota AFP via Getty Images 17/45 An LAPD patrol car drives through Venice Beach Boardwalk AP 18/45 Venice Beach, California Getty Images 19/45 Los Angeles, California Getty Images 20/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 21/45 Many shops stand shuttered on the Venice Beach boardwalk Getty Images 22/45 Empty escalators are seen at a deserted train station during morning rush hour after New South Wales began shutting down non-essential businesses Reuters 23/45 A nearly empty Times Square in New York AFP via Getty Images 24/45 Caracas AFP via Getty Images 25/45 Metropolitan Cathedral of San Salvador AFP via Getty Images 26/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Midland Park in Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 27/45 A general view of an unusually quiet Civic Square at lunchtimein Wellington, New Zealand Getty Images 28/45 A policeman rides his motorcycle wearing a face mask in front of a closed shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina AFP via Getty Images 29/45 Florida Keys AP 30/45 The historic Channel 2 Bridge closed to fishermen, bikers and pedestrians in Florida Keys AP 31/45 The Beach on Scenic Gulf Drive near Seascape Resort in south Walton County, Florida sits empty of tourists AP 32/45 Surfers Paradise is seen empty in Australia Getty Images 33/45 A deserted Rajpath leading to India Gate in New Delhi AFP via Getty Images 34/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 35/45 A general view is seen of a closed Luna Park in Sydney, Australia Getty Images 36/45 Empty roads are pictured following the lockdown by the government amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Kathmandu, Nepal Reuters 37/45 An empty New York Subway car i AFP via Getty Images 38/45 The empty pedestrian zone is seen in the city of Cologne, western Germany, AFP via Getty Images 39/45 Place de la Comedie in the city of Montpellier , southern France AFP via Getty Images 40/45 An empty street in Kuwait city AFP via Getty Images 41/45 A building is covered by the Portuguese message: "Coronavirus: take precaution" over empty streets in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil, AP 42/45 A general view shows an empty street after a curfew was imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Reuters 43/45 Parliament of Canada is pictured with empty street during morning rush hour AFP via Getty Images 44/45 A near empty beach on Southend seafront in England PA 45/45 Near empty Keswick town centre in Cumbria, England PA

A Government spokesman said “every death from this virus is a tragedy”, and said people were “working around the clock to give the social care sector the equipment and support they need”.

The Department of Health statement added: “As a Government, we have a duty to report verified information.

“It is important that we have the best possible reliable data to know how many deaths there are, wherever they occur.

“In an important step forward, ONS are now providing a breakdown of deaths by place of occurrence.

“We are currently working with CQC and other organisations to understand how to best to provide up to date information about deaths in care homes and elsewhere.”