Queensland Health says the Rockhampton nurse who yesterday sparked the lockdown of a state-run aged care facility had been sent for coronavirus testing after showing symptoms but went back to her workplace before the positive test result was returned.
Key points:
- About 60 residents and staff who had close contact with the nurse have been tested for COVID-19 and returned a negative result
- The facility in North Rockhampton is in lockdown with all residents in isolation
- Queensland's chief health officer says anyone with flu-like symptoms, a fever or respiratory symptoms should get tested
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Steve Williamson yesterday said the circumstances prior to the nurse’s positive diagnosis were under investigation.
"The nurse was onsite after being symptomatic and after being sent for testing," Mr Williamson said. "That’s outside the direction we’ve set for our staff and we will look into that further — in detail — but our focus currently is 100 per cent on ensuring safety in the facility.”
Contact tracing is underway to determine where the nurse has been since May 3, when she is believed to have become infectious. More than 70 people have already been identified as close contacts and quarantined.
About 115 residents and 180 staff at North Rockhampton Nursing Centre are being tested as part of a rapid response plan, after the case was made public on Friday morning.
Local State MP Brittany Lauga on Saturday said testing had returned 60 negative results "as of 7pm" on Friday.
"It is quite possible we will see a positive test, but so far so good," she told the ABC.
Chief health officer 'speechless'
It is understood that the nurse contracted the virus while in Brisbane.
Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said there was "no error" with the nurse's travel to and from Brisbane as it was for an essential purpose.
However, Dr Young said she was "speechless" that the nurse had not heeded warnings to stay home from work while unwell.
Dr Young said she was "very concerned" the case could lead to a repeat of Newmarch House, the Sydney cluster that had seen the deaths of 16 aged residents and 69 infections so far.
The aged care facility has been locked down while the testing is carried out.
Authorities are urging anyone in Rockhampton with any symptoms to go to a GP or fever clinic for testing.
In response to the latest case, Queensland Health has opened a second fever clinic in Rockhampton.
'Screen your staff'
The Council on the Ageing is urging aged care providers to check the health of staff for every shift, every day.
"Screen your staff," said chief executive, Ian Yates.
"That includes asking them that question, 'Are you feeling unwell?'.
"You need to do that every shift, for every staff member.
Mr Yates said families of aged care residents should ask providers about their processes.
"The vast bulk of providers are doing the right thing," he said.
"If there are any concerns about what's happening in any nursing home, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) is there to raise those issues with, but it's best to raise them first with the home."
Mr Yates acknowledged that less than 30 of the 1,600 aged care facilities in Australia had seen cases of coronavirus, but said that outbreaks at Dorothy Henderson Lodge and Newmarch House were very serious.
Social distancing critical
The president of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, Ewen McPhee, said, for people in rural and regional areas, COVID-19 results were usually available within 24 hours, except on weekends.
"If you have a test on the weekend, or on a Friday, you're not going to get a result until Monday or Tuesday," he said.
Dr McPhee said social distancing remained a critical component to preventing the spread of the virus.
"Social distancing has saved us so far," he said.
"There's no reason to expect that we shouldn't be doing that and using common sense."
Dr McPhee said travellers needed to heed the directive to self-isolate when returning to their region.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMicGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTA1LTE2L3JvY2toYW1wdG9uLW51cnNlLXdvcmtlZC13aGlsZS13YWl0aW5nLWZvci1jb3ZpZC0xOS10ZXN0LXJlc3VsdHMvMTIyNTI4MTDSASdodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTIyNTI4MTA?oc=5
2020-05-15 22:53:00Z
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