THE owner of an East Renfrewshire care home has warned the sector is facing a "tsunami wave" of coronavirus cases.

Robert Kilgour also called for increased testing for social care staff, adding that action taken by the government so far was "too little, too late."

He owns Renaissance Care, which runs 15 care homes across Scotland, including Whitecraigs Care Home, in Stewarton Road, Thornliebank.

Mr Kilgour said 17 residents in four of his care homes had now died as the Covid-19 outbreak takes a terrible toll.

"We need concrete action and the government must deliver on this, because we have had a lot of deaths in care homes to date, in Scotland and the UK," he added.

"My fear is, if we don't get this right, there could be a lot more.

"It is a huge task and the care home sector are facing a tsunami at the moment, a tsunami wave."

Earlier this week, the Barrhead News told how eight elderly residents at another East Renfrewshire care home – Westacres – have lost their lives to suspected Covid-19 infections.

Bosses at the Newton Mearns home confirmed those residents, aged from 91 to 104, died over a period of more than two weeks.

Each had underlying health issues.

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