PM deploys military to aid in Queensland aged care Covid crisis

Military personnel will be deployed into coronavirus-ravaged Queensland aged care homes within days after weeks of pleas from the struggling sector.

Military personnel will be deployed into coronavirus-ravaged Queensland aged care homes within days, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing the extraordinary measure after weeks of pleas from the struggling sector.

Aged care facilities have been hit by crippling staff shortages due to the Omicron wave, with the latest data showing 151 of Queensland 286 Covid-19 deaths since borders reopened have been among aged care residents.

It comes as federal authorities confirmed plans were afoot to send vaccination teams back into aged care homes to offer booster jabs to those who either rejected or couldn’t get one the first time.

Moves to send in the troops have been welcomed by aged care peak bodies and the union, with staffing issues expected to persist well into March.

Australian Defence Force personnel will head to Queensland aged care homes suffering critical aged care staff shortages. Picture: Supplied

Mr Morrison, following a national security committee meeting, announced up to 1700 Defence personnel would be made available to support the aged care sector.

He asserted Defence was not a shadow workforce and it was “simply not feasible” nor ever an option, for troops to be deployed en masse to fill the staffing gaps in aged care.

The Prime Minister said the targeted deployment of troops was also about “quality of life in aged care”.

“It’s not just about trying to prevent any fatalities that may occur that may be avoided … an important part of the quality of life is being able to have access to your family and their support and their love,” Mr Morrison said.

The specialist teams will be deployed to the four states experiencing the greatest pressure — Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia — from February 9 after undertaking training on the weekend.

There are four teams of nurses and general support staff available currently, with plans to expand to ten teams from next week.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced up to 1700 Defence personnel would be made available. Picture: NCA/Gary Ramage

Each state and territory can get up to 200 military personnel each.

Approximately 15 military planners have been deployed to the federal health department to help co-ordinate the effort.

The needs of aged care facilities will be assessed, with troops to be sent to the most severely impacted homes.

Aged and Community Services Australia chief executive Paul Sadler and United Workers Union national aged care director Carolyn Smith agreed the announcement would make a practical difference on the ground.

“We do agree (with the PM) that the ADF are not the solution to the breadth of the issue across all aged care homes across Queensland and the rest of the country,” Mr Sadler said.

The Omicron wave had left a quarter of all aged care shifts vacant Mr Sadler said, with staffing shortages expected until at least March.

Ms Smith said “it was about time” the government activated the troops and “hoped it gets done properly”.

The federal health department was yet to provide data on how many Queensland aged care residents had received a booster but confirmed in-reach booster clinics would be sent back in for a second pass.

“(Residents who) were not eligible, or chose not to be vaccinated, (will) have the opportunity to get a booster and maintain their protection from Covid,” a spokesman said.