Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said 84 per cent of the 1103 COVID-19 deaths in Australia from December 15 to the end of January had been in people aged over 70, with a significant number of those in aged care, as he announced the taskforce into the sector's fatalities this morning.
The Opposition Leader took aim at the "extraordinary response", claiming an investigation should have already been underway given the clear toll the virus is having on older Australians.
"It is the suggestion the department was not looking at those issues that they had to set up a task force?" he said.
"Surely they were looking at these issues and this is a non-announcement.
"The idea that you could have, as you have had, 566 deaths since the first of January in aged care and the department would not be looking at those circumstances is extraordinary.
"An announcement would be the government saying that they are going to take serious action."
While COVID-19 has affected all ages of people, the most vulnerable to the disease remains people in aged care facilities.
Tens of thousands of aged care residents are yet to receive a booster shot.
Mr Albanese said there are residents in aged care who are "missing out on showering, missing out on food and water, who are not having their wounds tended to".
"This is a crisis, and it is a crisis on this government's watch in the wake of a Royal Commission that described the aged care sector in one word, neglect.
"Well, we have had ongoing neglect from this government," the federal opposition leader said.
"They knew, they knew that aged care residents were particularly vulnerable and yet we have aged care workers who still cannot get access to rapid antigen tests.
"We have aged care residents who are confused, who are locked in their rooms, who are not able to see their loved ones… This is not good enough," he added.
Earlier, Professor Kelly said the government was seeking further information into the deaths.
"It is not an easy thing. The numbers have been challenging in terms of getting detailed information from that situation," Professor Kelly said.
"We'll be setting up a specific task force in the Department to look at that and to do everything we can to get more detail about the issues, particularly in aged care, but more broadly in the community related to those people who have passed away."
Mr Albanese also called for Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck to resign.
"Today I am angry," Mr Albanese said this morning.
"I am angry because I have spoken to the families of aged care residents who have had enough.
"Richard Colbeck must resign today. If Richard Colbeck does not resign today the Prime Minister should sack him.
"He is simply incapable of fulfilling the task of looking after the interests of old vulnerable Australians," Mr Albanese added.
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2022-02-03 11:43:32Z
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