Aged care crisis: Albanese demands Colbeck's resignation

The chief health officer has also warned of a death toll spike in aged care over the winter, with a "live discussion" on a fourth vaccine dose for elderly Australians underway.

Booster uptake among older Australians has caused concern, as COVID-19 outbreaks consigned residents to their rooms and staff to isolation across the country.

Mr Colbeck on Wednesday denied the sector was in crisis, standing by his decision to attend a cricket match rather than appear before the senate's COVID-19 committee in January.

But as under-pressure providers called for extra support from the federal government, Labor leader Anthony Albanese on Thursday demanded Mr Colbeck's head.

Mr Albanese said the Minister had treated elderly Australians with "contempt" by downplaying a crisis in aged care homes.

"Today I am angry. I am angry because I have spoken to the families of aged care residents who have had enough," he said.

"Richard Colbeck must resign today. If Richard Colbeck does not resign today, the Prime Minister should sack him ... This Minister does not have any skills and he is not doing his job."

COVID-19 outbreaks were active in 1261 Australian aged care homes, and around 800 Australian aged care residents died from the virus in January alone. But federal authorities have been unable to provide clear details, including the vaccination status of those the deceased.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly on Thursday revealed the federal government will establish a taskforce to probe the spate, as well as broader challenges facing the aged care sector.

"We are looking to try to get more details about those those deaths. It is not an easy thing," he said.

"The numbers have been challenging in terms of getting detailed information ... but we are absolutely committed to doing that."

Professor Kelly was confident Australia had passed the peak of the Omicron wave, but warned fatalities in the aged care sector will rise in the coming weeks.

That would be exacerbated in winter - linked to higher fatality rates as people spent more time indoors - by the first major flu season since 2019, he said.

"Despite our best efforts in terms of infection control ... there is a risk of that happening," he said.

"I do do expect deaths in aged care, and elsewhere in the community, over the next few weeks, particularly among elderly people."

Professor Kelly revealed the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation was holding a "live discussion" on whether a fourth vaccine dose will be offered to at-risk groups.

"There are clinical trials at the moment. It's too early to tell whether they would be available for us before winter," he said.

And with roughly a quarter of eligible aged care residents yet to receive a booster shot, Health Minister Greg Hunt was forced to defend the government's messaging to the cohort.

Mr Hunt said older Australians had received boosters at a higher rate than the national average, insisting the authorities will "continue to go back" to aged care homes.

"We particularly want to encourage those families that, for whatever reason, have not taken up the booster option," he said.

The Health Minister tipped the definition of 'fully-vaccinated' soon require a third dose.

"My expectation is that we're likely to have [that advice] from ATAGI over the course of the next week or coming weeks," he said.

This story first appeared on The Canberra Times.