Coronavirus Australia live update: Victoria records three more Covid cases amid speculation over lockdown extension

Rachel Siewert asks Richard Colbeck whether he has heard reports aged care workers are being asked by some providers (their bosses) to get vaccinated on their day off.

Colbeck has not heard that.

Greens senator Rachel Siewert can’t understand why the government doesn’t know how many aged care workers have been vaccinated. Richard Colbeck says they are asking providers for that information now, after a previous system of “voluntary reporting”.

Siewert is trying to understand why it wasn’t made mandatory in the first place. Colbeck says they are doing that now.

But until very recently, it was voluntary. And the government can’t say how many aged care workers have received either a first or second vaccination.

So based on the figures the health department have just issued, 44,333 aged care residents in Victoria have received a vaccination. Of those, 25,319 have received their second dose.

It’s June 1. This was meant to be done by easter, at the latest.

But officials can’t give a breakdown of how many aged care workers have received their vaccinations

The information has come back – just over half the number of residents in aged care facilities in Victoria have received their second dose.

Victorian health officials have confirmed with the federal government officials there are NO new aged care cases in the new test results

Professor Brendan Murphy, when asked how many aged care workers have received the vaccination, says it’s important to note that all Victorian aged care facilities have been visited for a first dose, but people can’t be forced to have the vaccination.

Katy Gallagher gets cranky:

I’m not talking about forcing people. This is a new line from the government that seems to be coming out from last week, that it’s this kind of conscientious objecting that’s going on as a way of making it look like you’re not responsible.

Richard Colbeck jumps in and argues about “emotive statements”. Gallagher says if he wants to go back to emotive statements, she could ask him if he remembers how many people died in aged care outbreaks during Victoria’s second wave. (That’s because Colbeck couldn’t remember when he was asked)

Across the country, 153,641 aged care residents have received a first dose of the vaccination. Richard Colbeck says that is out of 183,000 residents.

That is across the country. No one can say what the state breakdown is, as yet. They are going to try to get the information.

Katy Gallagher asks how many aged care residents are waiting for their second dose.

A health department deputy secretary says in Victoria, of 596 residential aged care facilities, 382 have had a second dose “visit” – but that doesn’t mean all residents have had their second dose.

The health department DOES NOT have the numbers of how many aged care residents have had two vaccinations. Instead, officials says says 85% residents have consented.

77,134 doses have been administered across aged care and disability – but we don’t know how many people that relates to, and whether they are in aged care or disability care facilities.

The aged care minister says a second resident who returned an “indeterminate” test result for Covid has since returned a negative test.

His understanding is there are two aged care workers who have tested positive, and one resident. The resident is in hospital as a precaution.

Richard Colbeck says aged care providers are required to report to the commonwealth when there is a new Covid case in an aged care centre.

He says he hasn’t received any reports, so he doesn’t believe any of the new Victorian cases today are linked to aged care.

Over in community affairs estimates, it is all about health and aged care.

Katy Gallagher asks Prof Brendan Murphy how many cases are in the latest Victorian outbreak. Murphy says he doesn’t have an updated figure – the Victorian authorities don’t give the information to the feds until they have tweeted it out.

Murphy says after the second wave, Victoria decided not to share the information with the federal authorities until it had released the information themselves.

Richard Colbeck is told the tweet has gone out. He says he hasn’t seen it as yet and his office hasn’t given him any information.

These numbers are absolutely incredible: 20,484 vaccine doses were administered and 42,699 test results were received.

Again, thank you, Melbourne and Victoria. None of this must be easy. But you keep turning up.

The latest estimates hearings will begin very, very soon.

In community affairs, it’s all about health this morning – and aged care minister Richard Colbeck will be appearing.

In the economics committee, Treasury secretary Dr Steven Kennedy will answer questions between 9am and 11am.