With COVID-19 now "rampant" in the Northern Territory, a leading advocate for elderly Territorians says it is only a matter of time before a wave of cases hits aged care homes.
Her warning comes days after the Territory reported its fourth death from COVID-19, an unvaccinated man in his 80s who was a resident at the Old Timers Aged Care Service in Alice Springs.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the aged care home said staff were "saddened at the passing of this well-loved member of our community".
"We are continuing to provide the best level of care possible to our residents, and we appreciate the ongoing support of the Commonwealth, Northern Territory governments and the Centre for Disease Control," the spokesperson said.
Council on the Ageing (COTA) NT chief executive Sue Shearer said Territory aged care workers — whom she said were already being underpaid and overworked — were feeling "very concerned" after losing a resident to the virus in Alice Springs.
"My heart goes out to the family who's lost a father and a grandparent. It's really, really sad," she said.
There are now about 7,360 active coronavirus cases across the NT.
While the NT has recorded one death of an aged care resident so far, the crisis unfolding in other states and territories paints a grim picture of what may lie ahead.
About 500 nursing home residents have died with COVID-19 around Australia in the first few weeks of this year alone.
Ms Shearer said the coronavirus pandemic had exacerbated existing pressures in the aged care sector, such as inadequate staff training, low salaries and worker shortages.
Adding to concerns now was the rising number of COVID-19 patients filling up NT hospitals, prompting a pause on elective surgeries on Friday.
On Saturday, the tally of coronavirus patients in hospital reached a new record of 151, with 22 requiring oxygen.
Ms Shearer said when a resident falls ill in an aged care home, the first response was to immediately transport the patient to hospital — but she's worried there soon won't be enough beds to host them.
"If they deteriorate, [hospital] is where they need to go," she said.
"It frightens the bejesus out of me and a lot of other people in Alice Springs."
Ms Shearer said she hoped the Northern Territory government would ask the federal government to set up army hospitals if outbreaks in aged care homes spiralled out of control.
"If it's an emergency, it's an emergency," she said.
"We'd have to swallow our pride and go, 'We can't cope, we need this. Let's just do it'."
NT Health did not respond to questions before deadline.
Under the latest vaccine mandate, all workers in residential aged care facilities are required to have a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by March 11.
In the eyes of Ms Shearer, the current health measures might not be enough.
"We don't want to lose a generation and it looks like, unfortunately, that could happen," she said.
"If we can't nurture the ones who nurtured us, what sort of society or community are we?"
