Health Minister says aged care is “area of greatest risk” during COVID – but will the Federal and State Governments protect the elderly at the cost of the economy? – The Weekly SOURCE

Health Minister Greg Hunt has listed aged care homes among his top areas of concern amid the growing community outbreaks in Victoria but there are signs that both the Federal Government and the States and Territories will sacrifice the elderly to ensure the countrys economic recovery.
Mr Hunt told reporters he was being briefed daily, along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on the response within Victorians aged care system.
This is along with our Indigenous communities, our area of greatest risk, he said.
Any impact in an aged care institution could have dramatic consequences.
However, the reluctance of Australias politicians to declare more pre-emptive lockdowns is clear.
While the NSW Government put restrictions back into place for pubs yesterday, senior ministers say they are committed to keeping the states economy open as businesses say they cant afford a repeat of the six-week lockdown in Victoria, which is now estimated to cost that economy $8 billion and tens of thousands of jobs.
The latest national jobs data from the ABS shows the rebound from the lows in mid-April at the height of the pandemic has stalled.
Governments face a choice shut down again or press ahead, knowing there will be a sharp rise in cases and deaths most likely among the elderly, known to be most vulnerable to the virus.
Sweden took this approach from the start of the pandemic.
People were asked but not ordered to avoid non-essential travel, work from home and stay indoors if they were over 70 or are feeling ill. In aged care homes, sick staff were encouraged to stay home until they felt better.
The country later admitted this policy was flawed because of the asymptomatic nature of the virus, but it was too late.
90% of its 5,500-plus deaths were in people aged over 70 3,000 among aged care residents and home care recipients.
There is no doubt that aged care and home care providers will be offered support moving forward see the four million masks rushed out by the Federal Government to Victorian homes under lockdown this week as an example.
But new shutdowns are unlikely to happen and the lessons learned from overseas tell us that older Australians will pay the price.

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