Three-quarters of Australia's COVID-19 deaths in aged care facilities have happened this year.
A coronial inquest into 45 COVID-19 deaths at St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Melbourne has heard allegations that residents were not cared for properly during the 2020 virus outbreak.The federal government should be scrutinised more over the rising number of COVID-19 deaths in aged care, an independent MP says.
The figure also accounts for 75 per cent of the total COVID-19 deaths in the aged care sector since the start of the pandemic in late 2020, based on federal health department data.The aged care death toll has also risen by 36 per cent since Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was elected in May, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sunday.
"If we look back at the last parliament, there were questions asked every day of the aged care minister," Ms Sharkie told the ABC on Sunday."I think that it's imperative upon every member of parliament, including myself, to hold the government to account with respect to this."