Scott Morrison has tipped another $171 million into nursing homes to prevent coronavirus outbreaks, as he was forced to declare his confidence in his embattled Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck after a disastrous appearance at a parliamentary inquiry.

Early on during his evidence to the Senate's COVID-19 committee on Friday, Senator Colbeck could not recall how many aged care recipients had died from the virus, with a bureaucrat stepping in to provide the figure.