The latest Omicron wave to sweep through aged care homes is easing in its severity, with the latest statistics showing declines in cases and deaths. But Australia’s death rate from COVID over the last 12 months has been one of the highest in the world, with cases surging since we reopened borders early last year.
In the week to 19 January, 65 aged care residents died with COVID, down from 99 the previous week, and 120 the week before. See the table below for more of the latest COVID stats for RAC, all showing that the latest wave is easing.
| Covid outbreaks in RAC | |||
| Aged care deaths | RAC outbreaks | Cases | |
| 19 January | 65 | 88 | 1,271 |
| 12 January | 99 | 148 | 2,123 |
| 5 January | 120 | 314 | 4,431 |
While it’s wonderful news the COVID situation in aged care is improving, statistics from Our World in Data show that since Australia opened its border late in 2021, our COVID death rate adjusted for population size is higher than most comparable countries.
Australia’s COVID deaths per million people over the last 12 months is 577, compared with 510 in the United Kingdom, 468 in Canada and 524 in France. The United States is higher, at 711 deaths per million people over the last year.
If you look at the chart from the start of the pandemic our performance is better – largely due to our closed border policy early in the pandemic.
But the chart also shows how steeply COVID deaths began to rise after borders reopened in February and rose particularly sharply during last winter’s Omicron wave.