Nearly two dozen people living in Colchester care homes have died as a result of Covid-19 in the past two months, figures have revealed.

Office for National Statistics data shows 178 deaths involving Covid-19 were provisionally registered in Colchester up to January 9.

Of those 57 occurred outside hospital – including 51 in care homes.

This was up from the 28 registered in the week to November 7.

There were two deaths at private homes, and a further four deaths in hospices, other community establishments or elsewhere.

It comes in the week Dr Mike Gogarty, Essex County Council’s director of wellbeing, public health and communities, wrote to care homes advising them to suspend social visits in most circumstances.

He admitted the restriction “will cause distress” but said the risk of continuing with visits is “too great”.

Dr Goharty said the only type of social visiting that can continue is window visits with a closed window separating resident and visitor.

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He said that visits may resume, with Covid-19 secure measures in place, when more than 80 per cent of care home residents have received “at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine at least two weeks before visiting recommences”.

Shadow Health Minister Liz Kendall said there are “worrying signs” the Government risks losing control of the virus in care homes.

She told the House of Commons: “Infection rates in care homes have tripled in a month.

“Homes are reporting staff absence of up to 40 per cent and the latest weekly care homes deaths are the highest since May.

“Can the Secretary of State set out what immediate extra support he will provide so the sector can cope?”

Responding, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “It’s incredibly important that vaccinations are offered to everybody in care homes and the NHS is working hard to deliver on that with their colleagues in social care.”

In Colchester, the coronavirus infection rate is beginning to fall.

Latest figures show the rate is now 813.5 cases per 100,000 people with 1,584 cases recorded in one week.

In the seven days previously the rate was 891.1 with 1,735 cases.

Tendring remains within the ten areas with the biggest week-on-week rise in rates.

The latest infection rate is 1,169.6 cases per 100,000 people with 1,714 new cases recorded in seven days.

In the week previously the rate was 956.6.

The figures, for the seven days to January 9, are based on tests carried out in laboratories and in the wider community.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 154 have seen a rise in case rates while 159 have seen a fall.