More results from nursing centre’s COVID-19 testing

Queensland health authorities will investigate how a nurse with COVID-19 working in a Rockhampton aged care facility managed to evade detection and remained  on active duty  despite having the virus.

Queensland health authorities will investigate how a nurse with the coronavirus working in a Rockhampton aged care facility managed to evade detection as a mass evacuation of elderly residents gets underway.

 Deputy Premier and Health Minister Steven Miles said he was disappointed at the events which led to a nurse being on active duty in an aged care facility while having the virus.

"It is unacceptable,'' he said.

Coronavirus QLD: Life slowly returns to normal as restrictions eased

Nurse with COVID-19 was working while awaiting test results

Restaurant bookings boom as COVID-19 restrictions ease

Queenslanders get taste of freedom as COVID-19 restrictions ease

The Queensland Government is taking the detection of the  virus deeply seriously despite tests of 193 people who may have been in contact with the nurse returning negative."

All 193 have returned negative which is of course the best we could have hoped for,'' Dr Miles said.

Nevertheless a mass evacuation is underway at the North Rockhampton Nursing centre’s Westward wing as health officers transfer residents to another section in an operation expected to take 24 hours.

Dr Jeannette Young, Queensland's Chief Health Officer, said an investigation will determine how the nurse came to be at work among vulnerable elderly people  while infected.

Part of that investigation will determine if the nurse was subject to daily temperature readings.

"That is what we are trying to confirm with the facility at the moment,'' Dr Young said.

"There was a requirement for that (temperature readings) to be in place across all our aged care facilities and indeed all our health care facilities.

"So we are trying to work out what happened there.''

Dr Young said the nurse's symptoms of the virus were very mild.

"But even the most mild of symptoms means you need to isolate yourself and get tested,'' she said.

In the update, Dr confirmed 114 of those tests are residents of the home.

In addition to the nursing centre residents, it is believed the nurse had also come in contact with 39 staff members and 3 members of the community.

Those individuals are now under quarantine.

Plans to transfer some residents out of the community are now underway.

Dr Miles said residents located in the nursing centre’s Westward wing will be transferred to a different facility by a specialised team of paramedics.

This will allow residents of the Ivy Baker wing to be spread throughout the facility as it remains in strict lockdown.

The transfers are expected to commence at 11am this morning and should take around 24 hours to complete.

Originally published as More results from nursing centre’s COVID-19 testing