A small piece of good news.
Health Minister Greg Hunt has praised the sector for its role in preventing the spread of the virus during a press conference in Melbourne yesterday.
Asked about Newmarch House, he stated:
“This has been, as we have always warned, an example that aged care facilities and the frail aged are our most vulnerable Australians.”
“In all of our expectations, we had feared that because of the silent nature of the virus it could creep through into numerous aged care homes.”
“As it is, we’ve had two significant outbreaks, which is so far below our best-case expectation that I say a prayer of thanks virtually every day. But each one of these is, nevertheless, an agonising outbreak, and for the families involved.”
The Minister added that Australians owed a “debt of gratitude” to aged care workers and providers for their “courage” in turning up to work every day.
“They (aged care workers) have saved lives on a scale that is so far beyond what we have ever anticipated.”
It is just a shame that this gratitude is not reflected elsewhere.
