Matt Hancock has said it is safe to send loved ones to care homes as the COVID-19 epidemic is "coming under control".
The health secretary said there had been a 79% fall in care home deaths from COVID-19 since the peak in the week ending 24 April, according to CQC figures.
As of the week ending 29 May, the latest figures available, he said there have been 12,739 deaths in care homes, making up 29.1% of all the UK's coronavirus deaths.
Asked if he could say it is safe to send loved ones to care homes, Mr Hancock told the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing: "Yes. With all of the measures that we've put in place over the past few months, all of the billions of pounds extra that we've put in, it's clear that the epidemic in care homes is coming under control.
"Even those care homes where there are cases have very strong infection control procedures in place.
"In fact, if you look at the proportion of people in the UK who have sadly died in care homes, it is significantly lower than in comparable countries across Europe."
He promised to "continue to strengthen the measures in care homes".
Mr Hancock's insistance that care homes are now safe came as the UK recorded 55 deaths in the 24 hours up to 5pm on Sunday - the country's lowest daily coronavirus-related deaths since the lockdown was implemented in March.
There were also no deaths in Scotland or London.
The government has come under considerable criticism for the number of deaths in care homes and the way in which COVID-19 was dealt with in homes for the elderly, who Mr Hancock said are 70 times more likely to die of the virus than those below 80.
The health secretary also announced testing kits will now be sent to all care homes for "working age" people - of which there are more than 6,000 - with the scheme so far only applying to care homes for elderly people.
David Pearson, chair of the newly formed COVID-19 social care support task force, said there are 1.5 million in social care across the UK.
He said care homes for non-elderly people will also be given the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need and clinical advice to deal with residents and staff who test positive for COVID-19.
Addressing what mortality rate the UK government is wiling to accept to reopen the UK economy, Mr Hancock told Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby: "There just isn't a trade-off
"If we don't have control of this virus then the economy will suffer yet more.
"The job of the government has been to get the rate down and hold it down whilst safely reopening the normal activities as much as is safely possible.
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That's both on the economic front and the things that make life worth living, like being able to see your grandparents and that's a massive piece of work.
"It is just simplistic to say that there is a trade-off between the economy and health. A second spike would be hugely damaging to the economy. Of course, there are arguments over timing.
"But, as the statistics demonstrate things are moving in the right direction, that is why we are able to say that coronavirus is in retreat and that's why we're able to keep taking the steps forward in the plan we've laid out to lift some of the most diffcult lockdown measures while increasing measures to take local action.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLW1hdHQtaGFuY29jay1pbnNpc3RzLWNvdmlkLTE5LWluLWNhcmUtaG9tZXMtY29taW5nLXVuZGVyLWNvbnRyb2wtMTIwMDMwNTPSAXRodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvY29yb25hdmlydXMtbWF0dC1oYW5jb2NrLWluc2lzdHMtY292aWQtMTktaW4tY2FyZS1ob21lcy1jb21pbmctdW5kZXItY29udHJvbC0xMjAwMzA1Mw?oc=5
2020-06-08 17:08:42Z
CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLW1hdHQtaGFuY29jay1pbnNpc3RzLWNvdmlkLTE5LWluLWNhcmUtaG9tZXMtY29taW5nLXVuZGVyLWNvbnRyb2wtMTIwMDMwNTPSAXRodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvY29yb25hdmlydXMtbWF0dC1oYW5jb2NrLWluc2lzdHMtY292aWQtMTktaW4tY2FyZS1ob21lcy1jb21pbmctdW5kZXItY29udHJvbC0xMjAwMzA1Mw
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