The number of active cases of COVID-19 in residential aged care continues to increase due to the outbreak in Victoria.

Federal Department of Health figures show that, at 8am on 8 October, there are 314 active cases of COVID-19 related to aged care across 65 residential aged care facilities.

NSW Health sadly announced yesterday two men, aged in their 90s, died at the IRT Tarrawanna aged care facility, north of Wollongong, where they acquired their infections. They both had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

A man, also in his 90s, died at Mercy Place aged care facility in Albury where he acquired his infection. He was unvaccinated. A second person was announced yesterday afternoon to have died after testing positive to COVID-19. A spokesperson from Mercy Place in Albury said an additional 14 residents and two staff members had tested positive to COVID-19.

The latest data shows more than 5,200 cases of COVID-19 have been recorded among aged care residents and staff since the virus entered Australia with a total of 388 aged care homes recording outbreaks.

In NSW, there have been 53 homes where at least staff or residents have tested positive with the bulk of cases emerging since the latest outbreak emerged in June.

As of 8 October 2021, 85% of all residential aged care facilities have had no cases of COVID-19 in residents or staff, which can partly be attributed to the mandatory vaccination of aged care workers and the vaccination of residents.

The death rate is 0.40% (4.0 in 1,000) against the total number of residential aged care beds in the nation.