Australia again veered into emotional territory today when, metaphorically speaking, politicians, COVID-19 and aged-care collided.
As if facing mortality in our twilight years isn't confronting enough, add in a pandemic, genuine bewilderment with the health and aged care systems plus oft-unspoken concerns about the standard of care and it makes for a powder-keg of a situation.
The rise of cluster cases continues to concern Victorian authorities with multiple confirmed cases in the Glenelg Shire, 50 linked to a meat processing plant in Colac and a seemingly increasingly pervasive outbreak in aged care facilities. Aged care makes up 769 of the 4775 active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria.
in response, the federal government is sending in the "SAS of the medical world" as part of efforts to staff some aged-care facilities in Victoria, as the state government moves to take over the running of some privately-run aged care facilities.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has said he wouldn't want his mother to live in some of the private aged care facilities hit by COVID-19 outbreaks: "I would not let my mum be in some of these places, I just wouldn't."
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt launched an impassioned defence of private aged care nurses at the centre of Victoria's coronavirus flashpoint.
Mr Hunt's father Alan, who was a state politician for more than three decades, spent the final months of his life in aged care.
"The idea that our carers, that our nurses are not providing that care, I think, is a dangerous statement to make," the health minister said. "They are wonderful human beings and I won't hear a word against them."
Four of the six deaths Victoria recorded today came from aged care, taking the nations death toll to 167.
Let's move the attention over to the UK - would you believe that most people don't trust the UK government's advice on when it is safe to resume normal life? Would you believe that?
Well, that indeed is the case, according to one poll.
The King's College London-Ipsos Mori survey found that 52 per cent of British adults aged 16 to 75 were skeptical about the relaxation of lockdown. Also, 42 per cent believed the COVID-19 crisis was poorly handled, compared to 36 per cent who were happy enough.
There were many more "findings" (which you can read here) but save your biggest gasp of all for this head-shaker of a quote: " ... a breakdown of the figures revealed a partisan divide in opinion, with Labour voters three times more likely than Conservative voters to believe the response was mismanaged."
Wait. What? Back to business as usual then.
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