For the first time in four weeks, the number of residents and staff with COVID-19 and the number of homes with the coronavirus has increased, with 1,104 extra cases.
There were 825 residential aged care homes with more than one case of COVID, an increase of 64 in the week, ending 19 May. A further 449 staff were confirmed to have the coronavirus, with 655 residents also contracting the virus.
Sadly, 80 more aged care residents died in the seven days, totalling 1,418 resident lives lost to COVID in 2022. A total of 2,335 residents have died with COVID since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.
The number of residential aged care homes with more than one case of coronavirus are:
- 205 in NSW;
- 191 in Victoria;
- 120 in SA;
- 103 in WA;
- 100 in QLD;
- 19 in the ACT;
- 17 in TAS; and
- 6 in the NT.
The six homes with the largest number of outbreaks (residents and staff), according to the Commonwealth Department of Health to 19 May, were:
- The Whiddon Group, Glenfield, NSW, 208 cases;
- Warrigal Care Goulburn, NSW, 109 cases;
- Emerald Life, WA, 103 cases;
- Ananda Hope Valley Residential Care, SA, 96 cases;
- Bethanie Waters, WA, 90 cases; and
- Canberra Aged Care Facility, ACT, 90 cases.
The financial toll that COVID is taking on aged care operators was evident when Regis Healthcare informed the ASX the COVID outbreaks in its homes from 1 January to 30 April cost $14 million.
Despite the high figures, 93.4% (164,908) of aged care residents have received three or more doses of COVID vaccinations.
