NSW reports 25,870 new Covid cases and 11 deaths, Victoria 37,944 cases and 13 deaths, Queensland 20,566 cases after testing glitch fixed, Tasmania 1,379 cases; $4m in grants for Victorian school vaccination program; Scott Morrison discusses Novak Djokovic drama with Serbian counterpart. Follow all the day’s news live
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The Health Services Union has warned the aged care sector is experiencing an “unprecedented crisis” with “chronic understaffing, excessive workloads and extended shifts” hitting the sector amid the Omicron wave of Covid-19.
According to a survey of more than 1,000 HSU members:
The Morrison government comprehensively failed to plan before allowing Omicron to rip through the community and modestly paid workers, and residents in aged care facilities who built this country, are paying the price. Only just over a third of members surveyed have received their booster shot, despite working overtime in high risk settings.
There are active outbreaks in almost 500 aged care facilities across the country. Yet workers can’t access RATs, they can’t access PPE. They are on the front line with very little protection. Not only are staff at risk but vulnerable residents are at a heightened risk of severe disease or death.
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Source: The Guardian