100 cases detected

MORE than 100 Covid-19 cases were detected on Tuesday across the Darling Downs, while the region has recorded no new deaths.

The spike comes after the district recorded more than 100 deaths since the pandemic began – 77 in less than two months.

With several aged care facilities still under lockdown, questions have been asked as to what classifies as a Covidrelated death.

An aged care spokeswoman recently claimed a death during the facility’s outbreak was not from Covid, despite being recorded as such by the Federal Government.

According to information provided to aged care homes by the federal Department of Health and Aged Care, any death of a resident within 28 days of the person testing positive to Covid should be noted as a Covid-positive resident death.

If a patient is transported to hospital for non-Covid reasons, but later tests positive, and dies while in hospital, aged care homes have been instructed to record it.

“If the resident dies in hospital within 28 days of their positive test result, record this as a number in the ‘All Covid positive resident deaths’,” the instructions from the federal government read.

However, a spokesman from the Department of Health and Aged Care said it was up to the aged care homes to accurately record the deaths.

“The responsibility of ensuring the accuracy of self-reported data falls to the residential aged care facility involved in line with the advice provided by the relevant medical practitioner at the time of death,” they said.

“A death is considered to be a Covid-19 death where a person dies with Covid-19 unless there is another cause of death identified and recorded by a medical practitioner at the time of death.

“Typically, there may be multiple causes identified, and the primary cause may not be known until confirmed by a doctor or coroner.

“As such, data recorded may differ from those officially registered and recorded by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.”

A person is considered recovered after seven days of testing positive, however is considered to have Covid for 28 days after testing positive.

Based on information provided to health officials, 107 Darling Downs residents have died with Covid.