Coronavirus: Scott Morrison cancels Queensland visit over aged care crisis in Victoria

Scott Morrison was due to spend a few days in Queensland but says the “urgency” of the situation elsewhere requires his full attention.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has cancelled a tour of Queensland to focus on the urgent crisis at Victorian aged care homes.

Mr Morrison was on the Sunshine Coast on Tuesday where he took a tour at tuna producer Walker Seafoods and a ginger factory.

However, he will now return to Canberra to join the response to the outbreaks at privately-run aged care facilities.

“We have just over 80 facilities out of just over 430 in Victoria which has been affected,” Mr Morrison said.

“I had been planning to be in Queensland for the next few days.

“I think the urgency of the situation requires me to return to Canberra.

“We really are dealing with a health crisis, and we are dealing with an economic crisis.”

St Basil's Home for the Aged at Fawkner has been hit hard by COVID-19 cases. Seventy-nine of 115 residents have now been transferred from the facility with more expected to be moved on Tuesday. Picture: Sarah Matray

The announcement came just prior to damning comments from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, who said he did not have confidence in the staff and management at a number of private sector facilities to “provide the care that is appropriate to keep their residents safe”.

“We don’t run this sector but the residents in these homes are all Victorians,” he said.

“The Commonwealth Government have asked for help and that is exactly what my government and our agencies will provide to them.

“I can make no promises about how successful the strategy will be, but every Victorian needs to know that governments are working

together.”

The aged care workforce in Victoria is in crisis mode and facing staff shortages because workers are now limited to one facility, or to self-isolate, to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

At one Melbourne facility, Mr Morrison confirmed Australian Defence Force nurses were put on night shift at 11pm on Monday night.

South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has also agreed to send nurses to Victoria to help struggling residential facilities.

Mr Morrison has also tasked Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck with ensuring communication gaps with families are filled.

“The disruption to the workforce, which has included the disruption of the management workforce in those facilities, means that you have significant problems ensuring a continuity of communication with families,” Mr Morrison said.

“I know that must be terribly heartbreaking for those families, and incredibly difficult.”

Once in Canberra he will work closely with the Health Department, Health Minister Greg Hunt and Mr Colbeck to tackle the aged care crisis.

Mr Morrison said he expected the Aged Care Royal Commission, which was already investigating the NSW Newmarch outbreak, would also probe the Victorian response.

He said Australia would continue to face outbreaks until there was a vaccine, but Victoria needed to be contained from other parts of the country.

It was Mr Morrison’s second visit to Queensland in two weeks after earlier announcing incentives to lure international film and television productions to our shores.