Coronavirus (COVID-19) health package announced

Today the Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, announced a health package designed to protect all Australians, including vulnerable groups such as senior Australians, from the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Importantly for the aged care sector, the package includes $101.2 million to:

• Educate and train aged care workers in infection control, and enable aged care providers to hire extra nurses and aged care workers for both residential and home care.
• Make available additional aged care staff for deployment to facilities as needed, where an urgent health response is required and to provide extra support for staff and training.
• Provide additional funding for the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission to work with providers on improving infection control.

Further information on the range of measures the Australian Government is taking to combat coronavirus (COVID-19) is available on the department's website.

Department of Health