Worker at Highton aged-care home infected

OPAL South Valley aged-care facility in Highton has been locked down after a staff member tested positive for coronavirus.

It is the first known case for a Geelong aged-care home and comes as fatalities from Melbourne outbreaks climb.

Opal Aged Care was advised on Monday morning a team member who last worked in the facility last Tuesday tested positive on Sunday night, a spokeswoman said.

“The team member is selfisolating at home under medical advice,” the spokeswoman said. “As soon as we were advised the home immediately went into lockdown as a precaution, and to maximise their safety all residents are in isolation in their own room.

“We are working closely with the Public Health Unit on contact tracing and all residents and team will be tested.

“We are contacting all residents’ primary contacts and will keep families closely up to date as information comes to hand.”

The Department of Health and Human Services did not comment on the case on Monday afternoon.

Authorities have honed in on aged-care staff who work across sites and regions, in a move that could help protect Geelong’s elderly. The region’s aged-care facilities have not seen the alarming outbreaks occurring in Melbourne.

Hundreds of active cases, and five of six virus deaths reported on Monday in Victoria, were connected to aged care.

Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson said the commission was “closely monitoring” the situation in Victoria and providing support to aged-care services in managing increased risks of a COVID-19 outbreak.

“We are using the full range of our regulatory powers to ensure providers meet their obligations with respect to the Aged Care Quality Standards, and implement all necessary steps to mitigate the risks of transmission of the virus consistent with the advice of health authorities,” Ms Anderson said.

“The Australian government is supporting the agedcare sector to respond to the current COVID-19 crisis in Victoria through the provision of funding to assist the implementation of the guiding principles for residential aged care – keeping Victoria residents and workers safe.

“The guidelines and funding encourage aged-care providers to keep staff working at one service only in order to reduce chances of transmission of COVID-19 from staff working across multiple services.”

Barwon Health CEO Frances Diver said it had two agedcare workers who worked at either a hospital or an agedcare facility in Melbourne.

“They have each taken leave from us and are just working in Melbourne under the current circumstances,” she said.

“No aged-care residents have tested positive to COVID-19.”