A coronial inquest into a COVID-19 outbreak at St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner, Melbourne has today heard that some residents were left ’emaciated’ from neglect.

According to news.com.au, clinical care responder, Jacinta MacCormack, told the inquest residents were in desperate need of care from the moment she arrived at the aged care facility on July 22.

“They were unwell, they just didn’t have enough food in them… There was a couple that actually looked quite emaciated, their hips were sticking out,” Ms MacCormack said.

READ MORE: St Basil’s inquest: Brett Sutton endorsed decision to furlough staff.

When questioned about the handover process, Ms MacCormack said the transition was “not comfortable at all” and management at the aged care home were “quite hostile” and “not forthcoming” with information.

This news comes as Milena Avramovic, the former deputy director of nursing at St Basil’s Fawkner, also told the Victorian coroner on Monday the transition period was ‘like a warzone’ and ‘chaos.’

READ MORE: St Basil’s inquest: Woman says dad became ‘skeleton’ while mother was ‘dosed on antipsychotics’.

“I just did what I thought was right at the time,” Ms Avramovic told the court.

“It was chaos, it was so much to do, it was a pandemic… We all worked so hard under huge pressure.”

READ MORE: No food or medicine after takeover: Inquest continues into St Basils Fawkner.

Ms Avramovic, who worked at St Basil’s Fawkner between 2015 and August last year, said she did not believe she could ever work in aged care again.

“What happened at St Basil’s – it destroyed me. It destroyed me psychologically, emotionally, socially and ­financially,” she said.

READ MORE: St Basil’s inquiry: Aspen Medical replacement staff ‘literally graduates’.

Five residents at the centre died of neglect while 45 died of COVID-19 in July and August last year, in one of the country’s deadliest outbreaks at an aged-care home.

The five-week coronial inquest into the deaths of residents at St Basil‘s Fawkner will hear from about 65 witnesses, including nurses, centre managers and family members of the loved ones who died.

Source: news.com.au and The Australian.

Symeon Kandias’ Briki Cafe in Melbourne’s north has been vandalised and a death threat was left behind in what is believed to be a politically-motivated attack.

According to ABC News, a brick was thrown through the window of the Greek cafe on Hutton Street, Thornbury on Sunday night and a threatening note was taped to the door.

“Do what Dan Andrews says and we will burn your shop down and kill you,” it read.

Mr Kandias said he saw glass strewn all over the pavement in front of his shop when he turned up to work in the morning.

“It was a bit confronting, to be honest,” he told the national broadcaster.

According to the Victorian government regulations, it is mandatory for non-essential businesses, including cafes, to ask patrons for proof of vaccination.

Mr Kandias said he couldn’t think of a reason his business was targeted as he has never made a political statement and follows COVID-19 restrictions.

“I have never experienced anything or [seen] anything like this before here in Melbourne,” he said.

“I am just trying to keep myself and the community safe… If we, the little guys, don’t follow these rules, we won’t survive.”

On Sunday morning, a man was caught on CCTV taking a brick to two other Thornbury hospitality businesses – GRK Greek Kitchen and Bar and the Thornbury Taphouse.

GRK Kitchen and Bar’s, Effie Stratkis, told Nine News the action against small businesses wasn’t fair.

“We don’t make the rules we just follow them, so it’s a shame to take it out on a small business,” she said.

Victoria Police have confirmed they are investigating whether the attacks are linked.

Source: ABC News.

The Federal Parliament’s House of Representatives unanimously debated in favour of a motion calling on the Australian Government to recognise the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides on Monday.

According to the Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU), Trent Zimmerman MP introduced the motion to Parliament, which also had fellow Government members John Alexander MP and Julian Leeser MP as speakers.

Opposition members, Josh Burns MP, Steve Georganas MP and Joel Fitzgibbon MP, seconded the motion.

READ MORE: US President formally recognises Armenian Genocide as Australian PM falls short on remembrance.

“[The genocide] is absolutely something that should be recognised by our government and by this Parliament,” Greek Australian and Member for Adelaide, Mr Georganas, said in his address.

“President Biden has recognised it, many countries around the world have recognised the genocide, and it’s about time that we did too because if we don’t recognise humanity’s mistakes, they are there to be committed again.”

In a statement after the motion to Parliament, the Executive Director of ANC-AU, Haig Kayserian, said “the House of Representatives has spoken.”

READ MORE: WA Senator, Rachel Siewert, pledges to recognise Armenian, Greek and Assyrian genocides.

“The Australian Parliament’s largest and most representative legislative chamber has unanimously called on Australia’s Government to recognise the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides,” Mr Kayserian said.

“This unanimous outcome rejects Turkish interference in Australian foreign policy and calls on our country’s Prime Minister and his Government to stand with the representatives elected by their constituents and call a genocide a genocide.”

READ MORE: Australia’s Greek community join initiative to recognise Turkish-committed genocide against the Greek, Armenian, and Assyrian citizens.