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Aged care providers are calling for urgent action to protect residents and staff from a winter COVID-19 wave which is hitting more than one third of the country's facilities.
Aged & Community Care Providers Association said 6000 residents and 3400 staff were infected in 1013 facilities as of Thursday.
The association's interim chief executive Paul Sadler said 10-15 per cent of staff are already isolating or quarantining at home, and the coming weeks will put intense pressure on aged care residents and workers.
"ACCPA is concerned that anywhere up to two-thirds of aged care homes could be affected by active outbreaks over coming weeks," he said in a statement on Sunday.
"The increased availability in surge workforce including the Australian Defence Force over the past week has been welcome, but there is still a shortfall.
"The reality is we can't leave older people without adequate levels of care for too long."
Mr Sadler said 2301 residents have died in 2022, including 114 in the past week.
He called for more support for a surge workforce, including ADF personnel, until at least September.
Over the longer term, Mr Sadler said, the federal government must plan to fix chronic workforce shortfalls, prepare for future outbreaks and implement reforms recommended by the recent royal commission into aged care.
"The coming weeks are critical for aged care. We must do all we can to put the protection of older people first and support our aged care workers," he said.
Meanwhile, the number of Australians who have died with the virus has surpassed 11,000.
The country's death toll rose by more than 100 on Saturday, with Victoria recording the most fatalities at 44.
NSW reported 41 deaths, while Queensland recorded eight, South Australia and the ACT three, and Western Australia two.
Tasmania also reported one death, while the Northern Territory recorded none.
The daily toll pushed the country's deaths since the beginning of the pandemic to 11,134.
As of Saturday, a little more than 71 per cent of Australia's eligible population had received three or more vaccine doses.
That was an increase of more than 9500 people on the previous day, with booster coverage among aged care residents at 95 per cent.
About 55 per cent of eligible Indigenous people have received three or more vaccine doses.
As for fourth doses, about 31 per cent of the eligible population aged 30 and over have received their winter boosters.
That figure hiked up to more than 65 per cent for those aged 65 and over.
It represented an overall daily increase for all eligible groups of nearly 91,500 people.
The Victorian government is continuing to provide free rapid antigen tests to those who are eligible with disability, extending support to some of the most vulnerable in the community until the end of September.
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:
* VIC: 9501 cases, 12 deaths, 849 hospitalised with 27 in ICU
* NSW: 12,820 cases, 14 deaths, 2260 hospitalised with 56 in ICU
* QLD: 5804 cases, 1042 hospitalised with 19 in ICU
* TAS: 1155 cases, 174 hospitalised, with three in ICU
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Actions taken by the federal government in a bid to keep the devastating foot and mouth disease from infecting Australian livestock are the "strongest ever," Anthony Albanese has declared.
The prime minister defended the government's position to keep the border with Indonesia open as the country battles an outbreak.
"These are the strongest ever measures introduced by an Australian government ever in terms of biosecurity when it comes to foot and mouth disease," he told Sky News on Sunday.
"It's important to note that Australia is foot and mouth disease free, that our products continue to be available to the world."
Mr Albanese said the nation's farming bodies backed his government on not banning flights, which would have a "severe" impact on the economy and trade.
"You don't do that by just jumping to a position that the former government never, ever implemented," he said.
"No coalition government has implemented that strong measures that we have announced and put in place during this current current issue as it's been rolled out."
Travellers would be directed to comply with biosecurity measures, including removing their shoes or walking over sanitation mats, and be questioned by officers.
It's the first time the Biosecurity Act powers have been used in Australia.
The coalition has called for the border to close, and has criticised the speed the government has reacted with.
Agriculture Minister Murray Watt on Friday authorised the establishment of biosecurity response zones across international airports where travellers arriving in Australia can be screened more thoroughly.
Senator Watt had also announced a $14 million package to help reduce the risk of disease spreading from Bali.
The disease is highly contagious and affects cattle, sheep, goats, camelids, deer and pigs.
The virus is carried by live animals and can present in meat and dairy products, soil, bones, untreated hides, vehicles and equipment used with farm animals.
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A man is due to face court after being charged with the domestic violence murder of the woman whose body was found in bushland in northwest Sydney.
Police found the body believed to be that of missing mother Shereen Kumar, in bushland near Laurie Rd, Dural, about 5.50pm on Saturday.
Officers had been searching bushland in the region with dogs and helicopters any sign of the 43-year-old, who was reported missing on Thursday morning.
About six hours after finding the body, police arrested Vincent Carlino at a home on Taylors Rd, Dural.
The 37-year-old has been charged with domestic violence murder and refused bail.
Carlino is due to appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Sunday.
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Two people have died following a house fire in the southwestern Sydney suburb of Hinchinbrook.
Emergency services were called to a home on Rottnest Avenue about 5.40am on Sunday
Six people including a child were evacuated from the property and treated by paramedics.
Two people died at the scene, with both yet to be formally identified.
The child was transported to Westmead Children's Hospital in a serious condition.
Officers from Liverpool Police established a crime scene, which will be examined by specialist forensic police.
An investigation is under way and the cause is yet to be determined.
Reports will be prepared for the coroner.
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