Morning mail: aged care staffing crisis, 2022 Covid death toll double previous years, Belinda Giblin’s prized belongings

Anecdotal reports suggest staff shortages in home care are so severe that services cannot be provided to some people who are entitled to them, Aged & Community Services Australia says. Photograph: Westend61/Getty Images

Good morning. Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese will go head-to-head tonight in Brisbane for the first leaders’ debate. The pair are likely to face questions about national security, a federal anti-corruption watchdog and the post-Covid recovery from 100 undecided voters.

The aged care staffing crisis is so acute that services cannot be delivered to people relying on home care in some areas, according to providers. Despite the federal government’s $6.5bn pledge to fund an extra 80,000 home care packages, the delivery of services is being compromised by ongoing staffing shortages. Aged & Community Services Australia chief executive, Paul Sadler, says whichever party wins the next election must prioritise “the creation and training of an Australian workforce via real wage increases and training to assist people into aged care”.