Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said protecting aged care residents from further COVID outbreaks is a key priority for the Government in an appearance on the Today program yesterday.
“What we’ve done is made sure that every facility immediately has access to hospital, to removal to another facility, or to isolation,” Mr Hunt said.
“Those medical decisions are being made on the ground, but this is something that the Prime Minister and myself, and Richard Colbeck, the Aged Care Minister, have been incredibly focused on. Every morning, the Prime Minister is being briefed specifically on this.”
Mr Hunt noted Federal authorities are working with States to make sure any institution that has a case will have immediate oversight.
“Residents are the No. 1 priority,” he added.
Mr Hunt said the death toll will rise with further outbreaks.
“I think if we are honest, there will be more lives lost, and there will be more people admitted to ICU and more on ventilation,” he said.
“As we speak, there are approximately 90 people in hospital, 27 in ICU and 21 on ventilation on the figures that the National Incident Centre has provided this morning.”
