Covid outbreak at BlueCare Capricorn Aged Care Facility, Yeppoon

Rules reminiscent of peak Covid times are back in force at a Central Queensland aged care facility which says it has activated its “pandemic management plan”.

A outbreak of Covid-19 is being managed by BlueCare Capricorn Aged Care Facility at Yeppoon.

While covid lockdowns might be a thing of the past, outbreaks in aged care facilities are still common and in Yeppoon, one company says it is implementing its “pandemic management plan” following a string of cases.

It comes as hundreds of cases of the virus have already been reported in the region this year.

BlueCare says it is managing a number of “exposures” to the virus at its Capricorn Aged Care Facility in Yeppoon.

A spokesman for BlueCare said the health, wellbeing and safety of their residents and their people was their “highest priority”.

“We are implementing our pandemic management plans in close consultation with Queensland Health and Federal Government departments to manage the risks for our staff, residents and their families,” the spokesman said.

“We thank our staff, residents and their families for their co-operation and support to keep everyone safe.

“We are unable to provide specific case numbers at our BlueCare Capricorn Aged Care Facility due to the changing nature of Covid-19.

“BlueCare will continue to follow advice from the relevant authorities and keep our staff, residents and their families informed.”

A spokesman for BlueCare said the wellbeing and people was their highest-priority.

According to the National Covid-19 Health Management Plan for 2023, found on the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care website, aged care residents who test positive for Covid-19 should be isolated within the aged care service in-line with infection prevention and control best practice, but for no longer than is considered clinically necessary.

According to the document, isolation arrangements should be implemented with consideration to the older person’s dignity, choice and continuity of care.

All aged care residents, including those isolating, should have access to at least one essential visitor at all time, including during management of Covid-19 infections, which includes specific visitors identified through partners-in-care and named visitors models, and volunteers.

Essential visitors who visit frequently are expected to undertake basic IPC training including the use of PPE, facilitated by the aged care provider.

The document also says aged care services can set restrictions on visitors in order to reduce the infection risk, such as placing limits on the number of visitors at any one time or limiting the movement of visitors indoors.

“The BlueCare Outbreak Management Plan provides a detailed, comprehensive response plan to control and minimise any potential outbreak at a facility and ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff and residents,” the BlueCare spokesman said.

In 2024, so far, 246 Covid-19 cases have been reported in the CQHHS region.

The most cases reported in a week in the CQHHS region was 63 in the week commencing on January 8.

In 2023 there were a total of 5755 covid cases reported in the CQHHS region for the year.

On February 3 it was announced that Queensland's chief health officer John Gerrard would personally visit each state hospital to assess Covid-19 safety protocols following pressure from concerned doctors who claimed patients were dying “unnecessarily” due to ward transmission.