SA nursing home Covid outbreaks: Authorities explore relaxed rules, visits
More than 100 aged-care homes in SA have been hit by Covid outbreaks, with some shut to visitors and residents locked down in others.
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More than a third of the state’s nursing homes are battling Omicron outbreaks among staff and residents.
Premier Steven Marshall on Monday revealed 102 of the state’s 270 aged-care facilities – or 37 per cent – have been hit by Covid outbreaks.
Another seven have been struck since Friday.
SA Health has given “significant” support to 11 homes, with more than a third of residents sick at some sites. As centres struggle with the Covid crisis, strict lockdowns are keeping residents isolated from family and friends.
The state government has launched an urgent review into the aged-care sector after The Advertiserreported concerns about the impact of banning visitors to residents, who are being confined to rooms.
Mr Marshall, who received two high-level SA Health briefings at Monday’s Covid ready committee meeting, announced new “flexible” visiting hours and an overhaul of close contact rules.
“We’re very confident the residential aged care(sector) is getting on top of this,” he said.
An aged-care outbreak is defined as at least one infectious resident or two ill staff members.
Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier is revising return-to-work rules for aged-care staff to allow those who are close contacts to exit quarantine earlier.
Authorities are boosting testing and personal protective equipment at commonwealth-controlled facilities.
But providers want funded rapid antigen tests to help screen visitors after spending thousands of dollars on screening staff.
On Monday, SA received 456,000 RATs and another 2.3 million will be delivered by Australia Day next week.
Michelle Church, chief executive of St Basil’s Homes, which has no sick residents, said rapid home kits would help providers ease visiting rules.
“Restricting access to families goes against our values and has a significant impact on the wellbeing of our residents,” she said.
A spokesman for federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the government’s priority resources included 8.6 million more rapid tests for the nation.
More than half of SA aged-care homes – 155 – are Covid exposure sites. So far, 615 aged-care residents, 572 staff and five visitors have tested positive.
Many of the state’s 40 Covid-related deaths have been recorded in the elderly. Just three have died in aged care homes, federal data shows.
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