Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the Federal Government will be investing an extra $563.4 million to extend and expand its support programs for aged care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news comes as an extra 33 deaths in aged care were reported overnight.
The deaths date back as far as July but weren't reported to health authorities until yesterday.
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Victoria now has 1225 active cases in aged care.
Mr Hunt said the extra funding would help support aged care facilities and their workers.
The extra funding will go towards the single site worker program and providing support for aged care residents where they and their family wish to care for them on a temporary basis at home.
What the extra $563 million will go towards
Mr Hunt said the funding could be broken down into four key areas.
The first was the continuation of the COVID supplement to provide for an additional six months to the end of February 2021, he said.
"This is support for facilities and it comes as a cost of $245 million. It assists them as we announced in May on May 1, with the ability to develop their workforce, to provide for PPE needs and for other elements relating to the fight against COVID-19," Mr Hunt said.
The second was to extend the support for aged care workers in COVID-19 areas to operate on a single workforce basis.
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"That will be extended as an entitlement from previously eight weeks per facility to 12. The program itself will now be extended as an available option till June 30, 2021, at an investment of $92.4 million.
Thirdly, $71.4m would go towards expanding the short-term home support for older Australians who are on leave from residential aged care, to help families to care for older residents who will take time away from an aged care facility. The program will be extended until June 2021 at a cost of $71.4 million.
Fourthly, the extension of the COVID-19 aged care workforce retention payment totalling $154.5 million.
Aged care minister insists he has PM's backing
Aged care minister Richard Colbeck says he believes he still has the confidence of the prime minister.
Senate Colbeck came under fire last week after he as unable to give the number of COVID-related deaths in aged care at a Senate inquiry.
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"As I said in my statement last week, and as I said in the Senate last week, I should have had the data in front of me when I required it," he said.
"That is not an indication of the work that I'm doing more broadly in the portfolio.
"And I think today's announcement demonstrates the work that I am doing to ensure that residents in aged care across Australia get the support that they need through this COVID-19 pandemic."
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