This will be in the excellent 'The Australian' tomorrow morning...

This will be in the excellent 'The Australian' tomorrow morning in print, Thursday 11 August 2022:

"Covid-related deaths in residential aged care have increased by a weekly average of nearly 40 per cent since the Albanese government took office in May, despite Labor’s election pledge to fix the crisis in the sector.

Analysis of Department of Health data conducted by The Australian has revealed an average weekly death rate of 104 people since May 27, up from a rolling average of 76 since January 1 under the former government.

About 1570 people with Covid-19 died in aged-care facilities this year to May 20, marking an overall average of about 314 deaths per month.

However, since the election in May deaths have spiked to nearly 500 per month.

While the deadliest week in aged-care homes is still at the end of January when deaths peaked at 226 during the nation’s Omicron summer, death rates in recent weeks are persistently high and continue to climb.

As the nation battles through another surge in cases, peak aged-care providers remain concerned about the current trajectory of death rates and are bracing for more amid warnings from health experts of a potential lag between infection rates and death.

Case numbers in aged-care homes have accelerated since May, and surged in July when they peaked at more than 15,000 infections. The increase in transmission and deaths comes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese heavily criticised the former government over its handling of the sector during the pandemic..."