Victoria is bracing for another day of high coronavirus cases as the state’s aged-care sector goes into damage control in a bid to manage the COVID-19 outbreak in more than 40 facilities.
The state recorded Australia’s highest single daily death toll of the pandemic on Sunday with 10 deaths and 459 new cases with 71 of the country’s 155 deaths. There are 228 Victorians in hospital, including 42 in intensive care.
The establishment of a Victorian aged-care response centre was announced over the weekend and will be jointly managed by Emergency Management Australia, Emergency Management Victoria and VicHealth.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said it would draw together the Australian Defence Force, Federal and State governments, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner’s team, clinical leaders, geriatric support and emergency management.
“Its tasks will include quality control workforce provisions, prevention of outbreaks, rapid response, supporting provider communications to families and others,” Mr Hunt said.
Meanwhile, on Monday morning, the country’s deputy chief health officer Dr Nick Coatsworth described the virus as “deeply embedded” in Victoria, and will take a while to control.
He said it was hoped case numbers would come down by now, three weeks into Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire’s six week lockdown.
“The virus is deeply embedded within the community in Victoria,” Dr Coatsworth told Nine’s Today program.
“We know that Victorians in those lockdown zones are mixing far less, the movement data shows us we’re about where we were in that first wave when the curve started to flatten.
“The other bit of silver lining is that those numbers, whilst deeply concerning, are bouncing between about 350 and 450 a day and certainly we’re not seeing doubling during the week, which has to be a good thing.”
Earlier, he told the ABC that extending the six-week lockdown in Greater Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire was an option.
“Premier Andrews has been very clear in the past few days that is, that those options are on the table, but let’s examine what we can do to make this happen as quick as possible.
“All Victorians in those areas can support the process by wearing masks, by only going out for those requirements that allow them to go out to work, for healthcare. If we are all in this together then the light at the end of the tunnel arrives quicker.
“That is absolutely certain,” he said.
Aged-care crisis continues
The federal government has moved to set up a call centre for families as families of hundreds of Victorian aged care residents struggle to check on their loved ones.
There are currently 560 active cases linked to residents and staff of at least 40 aged care facilities across the state, including 82 cases at Estia Health in Ardeer and 78 at St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Fawkner.
The federal government held an online information session with families of residents at St Basil’s on Sunday night, after they gathered at the facility earlier in the day.
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Nicholas Barboussas was told by St Basil’s at the weekend his father was in the home and doing well, after he was already told by Northern Hospital his father was fighting for life.
Mr Barboussas told Nine’s Today program the family managed to FaceTime with the ill grandfather before he passed away on Sunday, after Victoria’s official case and toll figures were announced.
“We saw a smile on dad’s face when he saw us and especially his grand kids. And it was comforting for us to see him albeit in a pretty bad way,” he said.
Other families said they did not know if their relatives were transferred to hospital with COVID-19 or what their condition was.
“We understand the emotional impact the situation is having on residents, staff and families,” Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said in a statement.
-with AAP
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