PM cuts Queensland trip short to deal with Victoria’s COVID-19 crisis

The Prime Minister has cut short his work trip to Queensland to deal with the coronavirus crisis unfolding in Victoria.

Scott Morrison revealed on Tuesday he’d be heading back to Canberra that afternoon.

It comes as the Australian Defence Force is sent into aged care homes in Victoria.

Hundreds of elderly residents across dozens of facilities have contracted COVID-19.

There are now also major staff shortages, with many people who worked at the facilities also infected.

Labor says the federal government has bungled the response and should have learned lessons from the Newmarch disaster in Sydney earlier this year.

Under new regulations, nursing home staff will not be allowed to work across multiple facilities and those who are sick and forced to isolate will be given two weeks pandemic leave.