Ministers have revealed that 15 social care workers have lost their lives due to coronavirus on top of 69 NHS workers who have also died from the virus.
It comes as the government faces daily criticism for not providing enough personal protective equipment for those health and care workers on the frontline.
Today at Prime Minister's Questions First Secretary of State Dominic Raab was unable to say how many of those working in care homes had died because it is "more difficult to establish" those deaths.
He said: "On the latest figures my understanding is that 69 people have died within the NHS of coronavirus and I don't have the precise numbers for care homes, they're more difficult to establish in relation to care home workers rather than care home residents."
But later in the House of Commons the Secretary of State for Health Matt Hancock, was able to provide that information.
Asked by his Labour opponent Jonathan Ashworth, he replied: "The number is that 15 social care staff have sadly lost their lives and in the same way that we pay tribute to and we remember all of those NHS staff who have died, so too we do for those who serve our country and look after people in social care."
Mr Raab was responding to a question from the Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer who raised the sad case of Manjeet Singh Riyat, 52, who died on Monday at the Royal Derby Hospital, where he worked.
Paying tribute Mr Starmer said: "He, I think, was the first Sikh consultant, respected widely across the country and instrumental in building up Derbyshire's emergency services.
"He's sadly just one of the many frontline health and social care workers to have died from coronavirus during this crisis."
"I entirely agree with the broader point he makes which is that as our key workers -whether they're in the NHS, whether they're in social care - who are fighting for us, tending to the most vulnerable, need the full support. That's why it's so important that we ramp up the testing, ramp up the PPE deliveries.
He added: "I think we can all agree in this House everyone of these is a tragedy and that can only double down our efforts to tackle this virus and do everything we can to support those amazing workers in the NHS who are delivering so much to take the battle to the coronavirus."
Later at the daily press conference Mr Raab admitted that care homes had proved a "challenge" for ministers in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.
Facing a question about whether care home and their staff were priorities, he said: "We are conscious there is a challenge with care homes - I've said that in my earlier remarks - but we are doing everything we can.
"The situation is improving, we are getting the PPE to those places that need it.
"We are working with the military in relation to some of the mobile testing labs, because we know it is difficult for some people in care homes to access the testing.
"We have revised the guidance, or the NHS has revised the guidance, to make sure that on discharge that we are absolutely being very careful with those who go into care homes.
"We are doing everything we can. We understand their concerns, their anxieties.
"I feel for those who are living in care homes and they, or their loved ones, are nervous about this and we are dong absolutely everything we can to protect them."
