More than 30 vulnerable residents of a government-run aged care home in Rockhampton have been evacuated to two private hospitals after a nurse tested positive to coronavirus.
Key points:
- Health Minister Steven Miles says 193 rapid coronavirus tests have been completed at the facility, with all tests returning negative so far
- The circumstances prior to the positive diagnosis are under investigation
- The daughter of one resident says she heard about the nurse testing positive in the media
Queensland Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles last night said on social media all 35 residents from the North Rockhampton Nursing Centre had been relocated ahead of schedule to the Mater and Hillcrest hospitals.
Plans to move the elderly residents were announced by the minister yesterday after an Enrolled Nurse at the facility tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday night, more than 10 days after she is believed to have become contagious. The aged care home has been placed into lockdown.
The incident sparked fears of a repeat of Newmarch House, the Sydney coronavirus cluster that has seen the deaths of 16 aged residents and 69 infections.
Dr Miles yesterday said 193 rapid coronavirus tests had already been completed at the Queensland Health facility, including 114 residents and some of the 180 staff, with all tests returning negative so far.
"Which, of course, is the best we could have hoped for out of that batch of testing," he said.
In a statement, Queensland Health said moving the residents would ensure those who may have been in contact with the infected staff member could be appropriately isolated for the required quarantine period.
Nurse worked after being diagnosed
The nurse, who is understood to have been working at a reception desk and not in direct contact with residents while she had symptoms, is now in quarantine.
The Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service says the circumstances prior to the positive diagnosis are under investigation because she was onsite after being symptomatic and after being sent for testing.
How the nurse became infected is still unknown, but tracing is underway to track her movements after a trip to Brisbane before she became sick.
Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the nurse had an "essential purpose" to travel to Brisbane but she had been left "speechless" that some people were still not following warnings to say at home while unwell.
"She wasn't providing hands-on care to the residents which is a good thing, but she did have contact with people which is why we're being extremely cautious."
Dr Young urged all residents in Rockhampton who had "any symptoms" to step forward to be tested and said a second fever clinic would be opened in the central Queensland town today.
She said the nurse had been out in the community during that time and it was impossible to trace everyone.
Resident's daughter heard news on TV
The daughter of one 95-year-old resident at the Rockhampton aged care home said she found out about the health scare from a TV news report.
Cathy Garvie's 95-year-old mum, Beryl Goddy, lives in the Ivy Baker Ward at the North Rockhampton Nursing Centre, which is the wing at the focus of the scare.
"I think they [the centre] had lots more things to think about than worrying about us. They had the patients to think about and everything."
Ms Garvie said she had visited her mum on Thursday, the day the nurse was diagnosed.
"You had to buzz to be let in and then they listed all the symptoms, 'did you have all these?', and then they took our temperature," she said.
"I've always taken all precautions with it. I always wear a hand-made mask when I visit the unit and I clean my hands as I go in and I clean mum's as we go [outside]."
Ms Garvie is now in isolation waiting for her own coronavirus test results.
"I have every confidence in the staff there, so I haven't really been that worried.
"I've rung them up and wished them all the best and got updates on how everything is going."
What are the current state guidelines?
Jeanette Young issued an aged care direction as a result of the coronavirus public health emergency.
- Anyone visiting a Queensland aged care facility must have an up-to-date influenza vaccination
- Up to two people can visit for a maximum of two hours on a particular day
- Anyone providing essential goods, health, medical or pharmaceutical services can enter
- Visitors are permitted for end-of-life support
- Anyone who has returned from overseas in the past 14 days, had contact with a confirmed case, or has any symptoms cannot visit
- Children under 16 cannot visit unless it is for end-of-life support
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2020-05-16 21:42:00Z
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