Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians) Share this | Hansard source

The government and the health officers, the CMOs and CHOs, from around the country were all very well aware that senior Australians were extremely vulnerable to this terrible virus, COVID-19. We all very much knew that it could have a devastating impact. We all knew that. That's why in our plan to deal with COVID-19 in this country, including in aged care, the national COVID-19 healthcare plan, aged care was a significant component. That's why the AHPPC put that document together, to support the government's response to COVID-19 across the country, including in aged care, supported by the guidelines provided by the CDNA to the aged-care sector. It was all part of our plan to deal with COVID-19 across the country.

So from the beginning of the year, from January, we started working closely with the aged-care sector, providing advice on how providers would improve their infection control plans, how they should upgrade their procedures with respect to the utilisation of PPE and how they should upgrade the plans within their facilities so they could be prepared in the circumstance of an outbreak.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission also started working with providers to test their preparedness. So, yes, we were well aware of the vulnerabilities of the aged-care sector and of those who reside within it, very well aware. That's why our plan, right from the outset, contemplated a number of actions, based on the AHPPC advice through the COVID-19 health management plan that was issued during February.