Aged care staffer worked for six days with COVID-19 symptoms

Aged care workers who feel unwell are being asked to not come to work after at least one elderly resident caught coronavirus from an infected staffer.

The NSW health minister has warned there could be “disastrous consequences” after an aged care worker continued going to work for six days while she was sick before testing positive to COVID-19.

Brad Hazzard said the female health care worker at Anglicare’s Newmarch House aged care facility in Caddens in western Sydney went to work while she was showing symptoms of an illness and has since tested positive for coronavirus.

A resident of the aged care facility has also been confirmed to have the virus, while another resident is awaiting test results, Anglicare Sydney said in a statement on Monday.

Minister for Health Brad Hazzard wants any aged care workers feeling unwell not to attend work. Picture: Jonathan Ng

MORE NEWS

Live in these hot spots: You need to get tested

NSW cops dish COVID fines for mooning, chilling out, fishing

$440m lifeline: How to get rent relief in Covid-19 crisis

Newmarch House staff who were in close contact with either the resident or their colleague are self-isolating at home, while all residents are in self-isolation in their own rooms.

All staff have been directed to wear personal protective equipment when caring for residents.

Mr Hazzard implored people not to go to work if they’re unwell - especially if they work in aged care.

Newmarch House, where an employee worked for six days after contracting coronavirus.

“Unfortunately the potential is disastrous consequences if you’re working with some of our most vulnerable people,” Mr Hazzard told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

“The simple message here is if you’re working at an aged care facility, you are working with some of our most vulnerable people in (the) community, please just don’t go.” NSW on Monday recorded two more COVID-19 deaths, taking the state’s death toll to 26.

A 74-year-old woman died at John Hunter Hospital and a 79-year-old man died in the Northern Beaches Hospital.

Two more passengers on board the Ruby Princess have died in NSW of COVID-19. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Both were passengers of the Ruby Princess cruise ship which is linked to hundreds of COVID-19 cases nationwide.

The state recorded nine new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the total confirmed cases to 2863. More than 2600 people were tested in the past 24 hours.

“The fact we had nine new cases clearly indicates we are moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot more to do,” Mr Hazzard said. “No one should think we can slacken off in

the efforts we are trying to undertake at the moment.”

NSW Health acting Director Dr Christine Selvey has listed several COVID-19 hotspots. Picture: Jonathan Ng

NSW Health acting director Dr Christine Selvey said authorities are urging people in several areas where it’s unknown how people became infected with COVID-19 to get tested even if they have mild symptoms.

The areas include Penrith, Liverpool, Blacktown, Cumberland, Westmead, Sydney’s inner west, Waverley, Woollahra, Randwick and Ryde.