More than 4,000 aged care residents have now died of COVID-19

The total number of aged care residents to have officially died from COVID-19 has now passed 4,000 with no end in sight, and yet the nation’s political leaders are saying and doing nothing. Another 32 residents died in the week to Friday, 21 September, when the Department of Health and Aged Care said there are 1,274 active COVID-19 cases in 219 residential aged care facilities, with 1,094 new resident and staff cases in those seven days. In more encouraging news, the Department of Health and Aged Care data records that the number of aged care residents dying from COVID-19 is falling. For the period of 1 January to 20 September 2022, COVID-19 was recorded as the cause in 6.8% of all deaths in residents in aged care facilities, which compared to 7.3% for the period 1 January to 26 August. However, a check of the news releases from the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, and the Minister for Aged Care, Anika Wells, shows the deaths of aged care residents did not merit a mention, though Mr Butler did highlight that the fourth vaccine dose rate had reached “about 85%”. Additionally, last week, Mr Butler recommitted funding for the previous Government’s COVID-19 measures; this included more than $840 million in additional funding for the Aged Care Support Program, including $35 million for ongoing on‑site PCR testing in aged care homes. In the five days to 21 September, surge workforce providers have assisted 49 residential aged care homes across the nation, which illustrates the number of workers off with COVID has dropped substantially. The homes with the most cases of COVID infection were Opal Health Care’s Bathurst Riverview Care Community, with 107 cases; Southern Cross Care’s The Pines Lodge Residential Care in Plympton, an inner south-western suburb of Adelaide, with 87 cases; Russian Relief Association of St Sergius of Radonezh in Cabramatta, in south-western Sydney, with 70 cases; Rose Lodge in Wonthaggi, a coastal town 132km south-east of Melbourne, with 58 cases; and Bethanie Elanora Villas Nursing Home in South Bunbury, WA, with 52 cases.