<p>Inquiry chair says failure to advise care homes to isolate people discharged from hospital was ‘significant oversight’</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/oct/20/kemi-badenoch-john-healey-capital-gains-tax-budget-covid-inquiry-care-homes-uk-politics-latest-news">UK politics live – latest updates</a></p><p>The care sector was “an afterthought” during the Covid-19 pandemic, and government failures caused the virus to spread “like wildfire” among vulnerable and elderly people, a public inquiry has found.</p><p>Heather Hallett, who is leading the Covid-19 inquiry, said it was a “significant omission” that the government did not advise that patients discharged from hospitals into care homes should be isolated, causing the virus to spread rapidly among residents and staff.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/20/uk-government-failures-led-to-covid-spreading-like-wildfire-in-care-homes-inquiry-finds">Continue reading...</a>