All people tested after possible contact with a central Queensland aged care centre nurse with COVID-19 have thus far tested negative to the virus, Health Minister Steven Miles confirmed today.
Key points:
- All 193 people tested for COVID-19 thus far have returned negative results
- The facility in North Rockhampton is in lockdown with all residents in isolation
- Residents in a wing of the centre at lower risk will be transferred to a different facility
"We have now tested 193 people, including 114 residents, the rest being staff and other contacts — all 193 tests have returned negative," Mr Miles said.
Queensland Health said the Rockhampton nurse, who yesterday sparked the lockdown at the state-run North Rockhampton Nursing Centre, had been sent for coronavirus testing after showing symptoms but went back to her workplace before the positive test result was returned.
Mr Miles said patients from the Westwood Wing of the facility, believed to be at lower risk, would be transferred out of the centre today.
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Steve Williamson said yesterday the circumstances prior to the nurse's positive diagnosis were under investigation.
"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 still underway to determine where the nurse has been since May 3, when she is believed to have become infectious.
The CQ University Vice-Chancellor's office has confirmed the library at the North Rockhampton campus was closed at 4:00pm on Friday after confirmation that the nurse had visited.
The university said the library had been deep-cleaned and the facility was expected to open later on Saturday.
Local State MP Brittany Lauga said contact tracers were working to determine where the nurse had been during the time she was infectious.
"I think we will possibly hear of more public places that this confirmed case visited in the time that she was infectious … that we need to put warnings out [about]," she said.
She said some Rockhampton businesses had planned to re-open today but had decided not to after the latest case.
"I think there will be a lot more people who will be very vigilant in central Queensland this weekend and I think that this latest case serves as a reminder that we do still need to keep up the social distancing, those hygiene requirements and to be listening to the messages from authorities," Ms Lauga said.
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 told the ABC it was "extremely disappointing" that some people were still not heeding warnings to stay home from work while unwell.
"I am a bit speechless," she said. "It is very difficult to understand, so I’ve sent out more messaging today to people that this is just critical. The most important thing we can all do is just to stay at home if we’re sick."
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.
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2020-05-16 01:01:37Z
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