London, United Kingdom - All care home staff in England will need to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus under a controversial new law, the government announced on Wednesday.

If approved by parliament, the new legislation means that from October, anyone working in a care home must have two doses of a vaccine unless they have a medical exemption.

The rules will apply to all workers employed directly by the care home, agency workers and volunteers deployed in the care home.

"Vaccines save lives and while staff and residents in care homes have been prioritised and the majority are now vaccinated we need to do everything we can to keep reducing the risk," said health minister Matt Hancock.

"We have a responsibility to do all we can to safeguard those receiving care, including in the NHS (state-funded health service), and so will be consulting further on whether to extend to other health and social care workers.

"This is the right thing to do and a vitally important step to continue protecting care homes now and in the future," he added.

NHS figures to June 6 show that 84 percent of staff in care homes in England have had one dose of vaccine, and almost 69 percent have had both jabs, although there is a wide geographical disparity in uptake.

Britain has been one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic, with 127,926 deaths among those testing positive for the virus.

Deaths are currently at low levels, but cases are rising due to the emergence of the Delta variant that has forced the government to delay full lifting of anti-virus restrictions.