Two of the UK’s biggest care home operators have reported falling death rates from Covid-19, raising hopes that outbreaks which have devastated some of the most vulnerable and elderly people may finally be abating.

The number of residents who have recovered from the virus has now eclipsed the numbers of deaths from it across 220 care settings operated by MHA, the largest charitable provider of homes, which by Monday had recorded 359 deaths in total. It said fatalities peaked around 22 April and have fallen gradually since. Meanwhile HC-One, the largest commercial operator which has lost 829 residents to confirmed or suspected Covid-19, said deaths had fallen from a peak of 31 a day on 19 April to four on Monday.