Tom Surrey, director for Adult Social Care Quality at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), sent a letter telling local authorities they need to ‘identify designated accommodation’ and then notify the Care Quality Commission (CQC) of the details of these facilities as soon as tomorrow (16 October).

The deadline for every local authority to have access to at least one CQC designated accommodation is by the end of October.

It states: ‘Anyone with a COVID-19 positive test result being discharged into or back into a registered care home setting must be discharged into an appropriate designated setting and cared for there for the remainder of the required isolation period.’

The care homes being chosen by the CQC will have high infection control standards and will provide care for older people or people with learning disabilities or those with physical disabilities. They will be expected to be 'standalone units' or care homes with 'separate zoned accommodation and staffing'.