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The aged care services minister has resisted calls in parliament to resign from the frontbench following a large number of COVID-19 deaths in residential facilities across the country.

A move by Labor to formally call on the prime minister to sack Richard Colbeck and apologise to aged care residents and their families failed in the Senate.

Senate deputy opposition leader Kristina Keneally sought to move a motion but was voted down after a firey question time in the upper house, where Labor targeted Senator Colbeck over his handling of the aged care crisis.

"It is an absolute disgrace, and utter disaster," the Labor senator said.

"Disease is running rampant through facilities, too few staff to care for those living there, our greatest generation left unwashed and without food. Have you no shame, have you no responsibility, have you no care?"

Senator Colbeck told parliament there had been 1288 cases of COVID-19 in aged care facilities since the beginning of the year, with 587 deaths, but more than three quarters of eligible residents had received their booster shot.

It was also revealed data remains unavailable on the number of those who have died from COVID in aged care and had also had their booster shot.

The lack of data was blamed on a lag in reporting from states and territories.

"Have there been some issues? Yes," Senator Colbeck said.

"The Labor party can play their dirty, nasty personal politics but they have no plan."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also defended the government's response to COVID in aged care after Labor targeted the government's handling of the sector during question time in the lower house.

"At every moment of this pandemic, we have sought to provide every single support we possibly can to ensure we can be assisting both the workforce and those who are engaged in providing that care," he told parliament.

When asked about aged care deaths, the prime minister accused Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese of trying to politicise the pandemic.

Mr Albanese said the government was too distracted by its own internal fights to properly manage the pandemic.

"The problem is ... their distractions, their dishonesty and their disunity is stopping them looking after the interests of Australians, particularly those people in aged care," he said.

It comes after the government announced on Monday about 1700 Australian Defence Force personnel would be sent in to assist aged care facilities.

There was another 56 COVID-19-related deaths reported nationally on Tuesday, with 20 of those in Victoria, 18 in NSW, 12 in Queensland, four in South Australia and one each in Tasmania and the ACT.

Nationally, a further 27,642 infections were reported, with NSW and Victoria recording nearly 10,000 cases each, while there were 5178 in Queensland, 1296 in SA, 1092 in the NT, 601 in Tasmania and 495 in the ACT.

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Queenslanders has hit a 90 per cent double-vaccinated rate and built up "a substantial wall of immunity" ahead of a potential winter wave of COVID-19, but concerns remain about booster coverage for older people.

The state recorded 12 virus deaths and 5178 new cases after 11,870 rapid antigen and PCR tests in the 24 hours to 6.30am on Tuesday.

Chief Health Officer John Gerrard says there are 663 patients in the state's public hospitals and 42 in private hospitals, with another 22 people in intensive care.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday tweeted that more than 90 per cent of eligible Queenslanders were double-vaccinated.

Figures also show that 58.51 per cent of those eligible have had a booster and many people have recovered from the virus.

Dr Gerrard is uncertain about the potential for a winter COVID-19 wave with widespread immunity in the state.

"The reality is we don't know, so this is the big mystery, and we're all waiting to see what will happen," he told reporters on Tuesday.

"Clearly, there has been a substantial wall of immunity that has developed in the community through a combination of vaccinations boosters and natural infections, and particularly natural infection in that super spreading group of people in their 20s, and I'm sure that will create a significant protection going into winter."

"So whether there will be a substantial secondary wave in winter or not is unclear."

Of those who died of COVID-19 in the latest reporting period, one was in their 30s, two in their 60s, two in their 70s, three in their 80s and four in their 90s.

Nine of the 12 were in aged care, three were unvaccinated and none had had a booster vaccine.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said fewer than 16 of the 160 people who have recently died in aged care had received their third jab, while the booster coverage for eligible people over 70 was below the state's overall coverage rate of 58.51 per cent.

The minister can't see a reason for that, but she hopes older people and their loved ones will see the risks of delaying a booster and take action.

"We've said from day one that this is a virus that does particularly attack the elderly, and it significantly increases the risk factors ... I don't know the reason why people haven't come out now in the older age group (for boosters), but I'm still optimistic that they will continue to do so," Ms D'Ath said.

"I strongly encourage family members to talk to their parents and grandparents and encourage them (to get their booster)."

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Scott Morrison has apologised to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins as well as others exploited, abused and harassed in federal parliament.

The prime minister said sorry as part of a landmark apology and acknowledgement delivered on the floor of parliament on Tuesday.

"I am sorry. We are sorry. I am sorry to Ms Higgins for the terrible things that took place here," Mr Morrison said.

"The place that should have been a place for safety and contribution turned out to be a nightmare.

"Over many decades, the culture that perpetuated web bullying, abuse, harassment and in some cases even violence became normalised.

"This has to change. It is changing, and I believe it will change."

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese thanked Ms Higgins for her courage in speaking out.

Her allegation a year ago about her alleged 2019 rape in a minister's office sparked multiple reviews of federal parliament's culture.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to everyone in this building as well as every former staff member who stepped up to share their experiences of workplace bullying and misconduct," the Labor leader said.

The leaders' apologies followed a statement by House of Representatives Speaker Andrew Wallace acknowledging harassment, assault and bullying across Commonwealth parliamentary workplaces.

It was one of 28 recommendations in a review by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. About one third of staff surveyed had been sexually harassed on the job.

Mr Wallace said parliament had failed to make meaningful change to cultures and practices in the past, but would listen to people who had participated in commissioner Jenkins' review.

"Parliamentary workers feel pride in working for the country and the privilege and honour of making a difference or the Australian people. However, for far too many, it has not been safe or respectful," he said.

"While we know we cannot undo the harm that has already been done, we are committed to acknowledging the mistakes of the past, and continuing to build safe and respectful workplaces."

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Children aged three to five will be able to take free rapid antigen tests, with Victoria expanding its voluntary school COVID-19 testing program to early childhood services.

While Victorian primary and secondary students have been asked to take twice-weekly RATs since the start of term one last week, the same recommendation only applied to staff in early childhood settings.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday announced the voluntary testing program will be rolled out to children aged three to five who attend childcare services.

In the next two weeks, 1.6 million rapid antigen tests will be delivered to services, beginning with sessional kindergartens and then early childhood services, including long day care, family day care and occasional care.

"It's all about giving parents peace of mind, it's all about trying to support every family," Mr Andrews told reporters on Tuesday.

The program is voluntary but highly recommended, in line with school settings.

Jay Weatherill, chief executive of advocacy group Thrive by Five, welcomed the move but said state and federal governments must do more to minimise impacts of outbreaks in the sector, including clearer isolation protocols and income support.

"We don't want to jeopardise the ongoing viability of early learning centres and undermine their vital work," the former South Australian premier said.

Since the regime began in schools last week, 7046 students and 925 staff have tested positive.

"That's 0.7 per cent of students and 0.84 per cent of staff," Education Minister James Merlino said.

Victoria's schools surveillance testing regime was scheduled to run for at least the first four weeks of term one and involve the use of 14 million free RATs.

Mr Andrews says supply from the state's RAT stockpile won't be a limiting factor in whether the schools testing scheme will be extended, but whether the caseload justifies it.

The state government will also consult with the commonwealth on a potential extension, as the costs of the tests are being split 50/50.

It comes as Victoria recorded 20 COVID-related deaths and 9785 new cases on Tuesday, as hospitalisations fell below 600.

The continual fall in patient numbers has the opposition demanding the full resumption of non-urgent elective surgery be fast-tracked after it restarted at 50 per cent of normal levels in private hospitals and day procedure centres on Monday.

"There is nearly an MCG full of Victorians on the public surgery waiting list, and that's growing by 1000 people a week," Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said.

Health Minister Martin Foley told state parliament further changes could be announced in coming days, depending on updated health advice.

Meanwhile, Mr Guy and his MPs were photographed with Essendon legend Kevin Sheedy not wearing a mask inside parliament after he gave a party room motivational speech ahead of the 2022 state election, prompting criticisms during question time.

VICTORIA'S LATEST COVID-19 FIGURES:

* Hospital cases: 575, down 63

* ICU cases: 72

* Ventilator cases: 30

* PCR tests processed: 19,404

* Positive PCR tests: 2569

* Positive RATs: 7216

* Active cases: 58,449, down 1352

* Vaccine doses administered at state-run sites on Monday: 15,870

* Vaccine booster rate for Victorians 18 and over: 45.9 per cent

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