The 20% increase in COVID-19 numbers in the wider Australian community, sparked by the spread of the new more transmissible Omicron sub-variant BA.2, is being reflected in the latest case number for residential aged care homes.
At 8pm on Thursday, 10 March, there were 771 residents and 639 staff with COVID in 272 active outbreaks in residential aged care facilities, according to the Commonwealth Department of Health. That represents a 12% increase in resident cases and a 13% rise in the number of homes with active cases.
A total of 877 residents have died with or of COVID since 1 January, a 10% rise on seven days prior.
It is the first rise in COVID numbers in aged care homes for five weeks. In total, 81% of residential aged care homes in Australia have now had reported cases of COVID.
As of 10 March, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) had 201 personnel deployed across 33 residential aged care homes. A cumulative total of 121 facilities have been supported to date, which is substantially less than seven days prior when 250 personnel were being deployed in 41 homes.
The five homes with the most active cases of residents and staff, as at 10 March, are:
- Scalabrini Austral (pictured) 42km southwest of Sydney’s CBD: 105 (residents 49, staff 56);
- Bupa Baulkham Hills, 31km northwest of Sydney’s CBD: 86 (residents 34, staff 52);
- Ozcare De Paul Villa, Southport, 75km south-southeast of Brisbane’s CBD: 76 (residents 34, staff 42);
- Hetti Perkins Home for the Aged, Alice Springs, 1,499km from Darwin’s CBD: 75 (residents 48, staff 27):
- Blue Care Carina Aged Care Facility, 7km east of Brisbane’s CBD: 58 (residents 39, staff 19)
