The emergency meeting with the Victorian aged care sector was held yesterday with the aim of developing a new approach to preventing further COVID-19 outbreaks as cases in aged care continue to grow.
At the post-National Cabinet press conference yesterday, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly said there would be an announcement on whether there was a federal plan to step in and manage aged care outbreaks in the coming days, labelling the situation in the sector as a matter of “real concern”.
“We’re combining everybody who is involved in aged care in Victoria so that they’re in the same room and working through what else can be done to coordinate that action as there will be announcements over that in the coming days,” he said.
The Federal Government has also demanded more detailed information about aged care homes as part of a new reporting system under which the States and Territories must provide regular, “granular” COVID-19 updates.
Professor Kelly said this would be “a crucial component” of the national response, with the increased data to “guide what sort of supports can be put from other states and territories from the ADF and other resources”.
Watch this space then.
