COVID-19 spreading through aged care homes in Canberra

Doctors say while the ACT's high vaccination rates and the availability of anti-viral drugs mean residents should be better protected, only time will tell if the latest outbreaks result in a spike in deaths.

Analysis of weekly federal health department data shows residential aged care homes in Canberra and around the nation are in the grips of a festive season surge in COVID-19.

It has echoes of this time 12 months ago, when mass Omicron outbreaks forced homes into lockdown, separating families from loved ones during the Christmas and new year period.

Outbreaks were reported in 13 nursing homes across the ACT in the latest reporting period - the highest number since July.

There were 86 cases among residents, the most since 141 infections were reported at the start of August.

Some 16 staff had also tested positive.

RSL LifeCare's Bill McKenzie Gardens home in Page is experiencing the biggest outbreak, with 58 residents and 18 staff infected, according to the department's latest report.

Australian Medical Association national president and Canberra doctor Steve Robson said nursing homes should be in a better position than last summer, thanks to anti-viral drugs and the strong take-up of second booster doses.

Some 87.5 per cent of eligible aged care residents in Canberra have received a fourth dose as of December 23, the highest rate in any jurisdiction.

Professor Robson warned that aged care residents were at increased risk during the festive season, with relatives wanting to visit and increased mixing in the general community giving the virus more chance to spread.

"I think if you recognise the risk and you mitigate, then great," he told The Canberra Times.

"But the sense that I get in the community is that the message is 'it (COVID) is all in the rear-view mirror and we don't need to worry as much'.

"We can see that it is still taking the lives of older Canberrans. We still have 60 or 70 people in hospital with COVID. It is not, in anyway, over or gone."

Professor Robson was worried older patients could face challenges booking GP appointments and accessing anti-viral treatments during this period.

"Clearly, we ought to be a lot better prepared than we were over the Christmas break last year, but whether that translates to better health outcomes remains to be seen," he said.

This year has turned out to be the deadliest of the pandemic in aged care.

There have just over 3500 aged care deaths this year nationwide, four times the number in the first two years of the pandemic combined.

There were 102 deaths alone in the latest weekly reporting period.

The numbers aren't broken down by state and territory, meaning its unknown exactly how many of the 138 deaths in the ACT during the pandemic have been in aged care.

The ACT recorded two deaths in the latest reporting period, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s.

Labor relentlessly attacked the Morrison government, in particular former Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck, over its management of outbreaks in aged care.

The new minister, Anika Wells, has defended the Albanese government's handling of the virus since the election.

The government has highlighted the fact that the death rate for aged care residents who catch the virus has fallen to 3.3 per cent, compared to 33 per cent in 2020.

"The Albanese government has moved quickly to prepare for COVID waves, supplying PPE, rapid antigen tests, and other supports to aged care homes and continuing access to the surge workforce with additional workforce ready to be activated," Ms Wells said.

"We are also prioritising fourth dose vaccinations for Australians over the age of 50 and providing access to lifesaving oral anti-viral treatments.

"We must remain vigilant and work together to protect older Australians most at risk of developing serious illness."