Another 165 people in aged care homes have died from COVID-19 in the seven days to 5 August, more than 23 people a day, which is slightly less than the 176 who died in the week before.
There have now been 2,642 residents, society’s most vulnerable people, who died from the coronavirus this year. The median age of death from COVID is 83 years, according to the Department of Health and Aged Care.
12,520 people have officially died from COVID across the country since the disease arrived in Australia; of those, 3,599 (28.7%) have been aged care residents.
In more positive news, the number of aged care residents and staff to have COVID has fallen by over 2,000 in the past seven days. There were 5,282 residents and 2,589 staff with coronavirus as of 5 August.
The virus has also been expunged from 652 residential aged care homes, suggesting that the wave has peaked.
The coronavirus case numbers are the lowest since the middle of last month.
The residential aged care facilities with active outbreaks of COVID are: 310 in NSW, 207 in Victoria, 201 in QLD, 128 in SA, 72 in WA, 20 in TAS, 10 in the ACT, and 4 in the NT.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been called in to support more aged care homes since the Federal Government announced it would be available until the end of next month. There were 22 personnel deployed to support residential aged care homes on 4 August, compared to five personnel deployed the week before.
The homes with the highest number of residents with COVID at 5 August are:
- Ryman Healthcare’s Nellie Melba Village, Wheelers Hill, 22km southeast of Melbourne, 87 residents;
- Hardi Aged Care’s Blacktown Nursing Home, 34km west of Sydney, 80 residents;
- St Vincent’s Care Aged Care Heathcote, 36km south of Sydney, 70 residents;
- Warrigal Calwell in Tuggeranong, ACT, 68 residents;
- Adventist Retirement Plus Victoria Point, Redland City, QLD, 64 residents; and
- Catholic Healthcare Holy Spirit (Croydon), 9km west of Sydney, 64 residents.
