Another two staff members at Sydney’s Newmarch House nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19 following the deaths of 13 residents.
Anglicare Sydney confirmed the positive tests despite what it called “strict procedures and enforced infection control practices”.
More than 60 people – 24 staff and 37 residents – at the nursing home near Penrith have tested positive to COVID-19 since the outbreak on April 11.
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“We are investigating further as to how this occurred and we continue to work closely with the NSW Public Health Unit on this,” Anglicare Sydney said in a statement on Saturday morning.
“Additional positive cases associated with Newmarch House are very distressing for our staff, our residents, and their families.”
The news of two more cases being confirmed in tests on Friday comes after three residents tested positive on Thursday.
On Saturday it was announced that NSW Health have deployed two infection control nurses to the facility to review its procedures.
“We’ve clearly seen transmission that on the surface looks like there’s been breaches of infection control amongst particularly the staff,” NSW chief medical officer Kerry Chant said.
“And that’s obviously a concern. There are have been some elements where consistent application of infection control practice has not occurred.”
NSW Health minister Brad Hazzard defended the government’s handling of the outbreak amid a second wave of infection at the facility, and said he had expressed his disappointment to Anglicare management.
“I made my views very clear to Anglicare. That’s all I’ll say,” he said.
He defended the staff who had spread infection, saying dealing with the virus was “like almost going to the moon”.
But he conceded there had been breaches of health protocols.
“Some of those people may or may not known exactly how to use the equipment in the most appropriate way,” he said.
“It only takes a moment. Our doctors are highly trained, but like everybody else you can make a mistake.”
Anglicare Sydney chief executive Grant Millard said “it would seem that’s fairly obvious that there have been failings”.
“The use of PPE (personal protective equipment) is foreign to a lot of people,” Mr Millard told Seven News on Saturday.
When asked whether there would come a point where Anglicare would decide to remove some residents from the aged care home, Mr Millard said the option would be brought up with those living at Newmarch House.
“In small number to date that we’ve had discussions and this is something that we’re going to raise with residents in our communication shortly,” Mr Millard said.
NSW Labor leader Jodi McKay called on the government to give all Newmarch residents, even ones who were healthy, the option of being moved to the public hospital system.
“It’s clear COVID-19 is not in control in Newmarch House, it is in fact out of control,” she said.
Federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said residents were receiving the best possible care supported by the local public health unit.
Newmarch House has been criticised by residents’ relatives for a lack of communication.
In an attempt to improve communications, the nursing home has started window visits.
“We are further improving our pastoral care for residents and their families by offering access to Anglicare Sydney’s counselling and chaplaincy services as well as continuing the successful window visits between residents and families,” Anglicare Sydney said in the statement.
“Additionally, Anglicare Sydney was relieved to hear that the outbreak of COVID-19 at Dorothy Henderson Lodge has now been dealt with.
“This gives us great hope that we will overcome this devastating virus at Newmarch House.”
© AAP 2020
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2020-05-02 18:26:25Z
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