Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health. Will the minister provide an update on the government's support for aged-care providers and residents in response to the coronavirus pandemic?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Lindsay. Of all the members in this place during the course of the pandemic, in many ways the member for Lindsay has had one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching jobs. She has been a constant aid, support, contact and advocate for the families of Newmarch House. We know that since the house was infected with coronavirus—and, unfortunately, it had spread far through that house before the first diagnosis—that 18 lives have been lost, 16 of which have, so far, been attributed directly to coronavirus. I want to commend the member for Lindsay on her work, advocacy and passion, and acting as a bridge for residents with both state and Commonwealth governments.

More broadly, we know the challenge across Australia. In the UK, the United States, France, Spain, Italy and Canada we have seen the immense tragedy and loss in what they call 'care homes' And even with the tragedy of Newmarch and Dorothy Henderson Lodge, one of the things that has happened in Australia is that we have had an extraordinary outcome where our aged-care workers, our carers, all those involved, have helped to protect our most frail, most vulnerable Australians. Over 2,700 residential care homes and less than one per cent of those has had a coronavirus infection. That is almost inconceivable. That is so far ahead of our best-case scenario two months ago that it is an unimaginable achievement. I want to thank everybody in the aged-care sector for their incredible dedication.

We've supported the work of bringing together a code led by the minister for aged care, Senator Colbeck, with the protections around people coming into homes and difficult restrictions which have saved lives. We're boosting the ventilator capacity to 7½ thousand units in Australia. We then backed that with funding: $850 million, which has included over $240 million for our aged-care workers to have retention bonuses to recognise their work as they have stayed on during the course of this pandemic. They've stayed on and provided service and support. We've provided emergency assistance and we've provided support for the providers themselves. All of these things have come together. There has been tragedy and loss and we must mourn each one of those lives, but we must recognise the extraordinary protection that Australians have given to their frail, elderly loved ones.