Baulkham Hills SummitCare Covid: 10 test positive
Update: Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed 44 new cases from more than 42,000 tests to 8pm last night.
Hills Shire
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JULY 9, 11.40am
Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed 44 new cases from more than 42,000 tests to 8pm last night.
“We are extremely concerned that we need to turn the tide,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Regrettably 29 of those were either partially or fully exposed to the community.”
Ms Berejiklian said high numbers of people not isolated during their infectious period was an indication numbers would increase again in the coming days.
“This is the opposite of where we want and need the numbers to trend,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The Premier also firmly opposed any suggestion of simply living with the virus with such low rates of vaccination.
“No state or nation on the planet can live with the Delta variant when the vaccination rate is so low, when it’s only at 9 per cent,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“If we chose to live with this a 9 per cent, we will see thousands and thousands of hospitalisations and death.
“Until we get substantial rates of vaccination we can’t live with the virus, we need to quash it now.”
Rules are now even tighter for greater Sydney, with outdoor exercise groups limited to two and within your local government area or a 10km radius.
“Do not carpool, you cannot carpool with anyone outside your home,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“One person only should be going out to buy the essentials.”
In a decision Ms Berejiklian described as “heartbreaking”, she confirmed that from Sunday funerals will go back down to a 10 person limit.
“Nobody outside your household is allowed into your house. It’s only if you are receiving care, or exceptional circumstances,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The number is none - nobody can come into your house.”
“This is the scariest period for NSW during the pandemic,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Unless there is a dramatic change in the numbers I can’t see how we will be in a position to end restrictions by next Friday. All of us have responsibilities.”
“Do not leave your home unless you absolutely have to.”
NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said 35 cases were linked to known clusters and 10 were close contacts.
“If you have the most minimal of symptoms, please get tested,” Dr Chant said.
“This has been a long journey in the fight against Covid but we cannot stumble over this, this is incredibly challenging and I want to stress that I am incredibly concerned.
“I need all members of the community to follow the public health orders. “
Dr Chant said Australia was in a vastly different position to other countries around the world where life appeared to be returning to normal due to the extremely low rate of vaccination.
“We have currently got 43 people in hospital due to Covid, 10 people in ICU, four of whom are ventilated,” Dr Chant said.
“Fourteen people are admitted to hospital under the age of 55 and seven are under the age of 35.”
Of the 10 people in ICU, one is in their 20s, one is in their 30s, one in their 50s, five in their 60s and two in their 70s.
“The only way we can turn this around is by seeing a decline in numbers,” Dr Chant said.
“Covid cannot affect people you do not come in contact with and that is the basis of the stay at home orders.”
Dr Chant said the suburbs of particular concern were Sutherland, Kareela, Hurstville and Maroubra in Sydney’s south.
In Sydney’s southwest, the suburbs of concern include Bossley Park, Smithfield, Fairfield, Glenfield, West Hoxton, Bass Hill, Greenacre, St Johns Park, Bonnyrigg Heights, Carramar, Canley Vale, Casula, Chester Hill, Edensor Park, Edmondson Park, Greenfield Park, Moorebank and Narellan Vale.
JULY 7, 11.25am
A fourth care worker at SummitCare Baulkham Hills has tested positive to Covid as NSW recorded 27 new cases overnight.
The latest case takes the total number of positive cases to six residents and four staff members.
“The staff member has been in isolation since July 1, 2021,” according to a SummitCare statement.
“Testing of residents and staff will continue today after yesterday’s tests showed all tests were negative within the facility, with the positive test of the staff member off-site.
“The NSW Department of Health administered vaccines to 24 residents yesterday and 99 per cent are now vaccinated, with the few remaining choosing not to have the jab.
“About 130 staff in the facility, who worked recently with the affected workers, are now in isolation off site for the protection of residents and staff.
“The facility continues to be in full lockdown, with deep cleaning and regular testing of residents and staff underway.”
It comes as NSW recorded 27 new Covid cases with only 13 of those already in isolation during their infectious periods.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said seven of today’s cases were in isolation for part of their infectious periods and seven were infectious in the community.
Ms Berejiklian also confirmed the extension of Sydney’s lockdown for one additional week to 11.59pm on July 16.
“This Delta strain is a game changer (...) it is extremely transmissible,” she said.
“The reason why the NSW Government has taken this position is where we don't want to be in position where we have to move between lockdown and no lockdown(...)”
Ms Berejiklian said the vaccine was the “key” out of further lockdowns.
“We know the vaccine is the key to our freedom, saving lives and keeping the economy open.”
JULY 6, 2021 @11.05AM
A further worker at SummitCare Baulkham Hills has tested positive for Covid - and worked throughout their infectious period.
When this worker was identified as a close contact at 8pm yesterday evening, they went into isolation immediately, NSW Health has said.
This brings the total number of cases associated with the aged care facility to eight, including five residents and three aged care workers.
The aged care worker included in today’s numbers had their first AstraZeneca dose. The two other aged care workers had not been vaccinated.
“Out of an abundance of caution all five residents with COVID-19 have been transferred to Westmead Hospital for observation,” NSW Health said on Tuesday.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed there were 18 new Covid-19 cases in NSW overnight, with all but two isolated for part or all of their infectious periods.
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said 32,136 Covid tests were recorded in the same timeframe.
“We appreciate that people came out for testing – we need to see those numbers sustained and increased,” Dr Chant said.
“I’d like to see over 40,000 tests every day this week to ensure we are not missing chains of transmission.”
Dr Chant said she was especially asking the Fairfield and Bossley Park communities to increase their testing as new cases crop up in the southwest Sydney region.
She also reinforced that vaccination was crucial and effective at preventing hospitalization and death.
“Do not delay getting your second dose if it is coming up and due,” Dr Chant said.
The Club Marconi on June 25 from 2pm to 8.30pm and June 26 from 10am to 6pm is now an exposure venue of particular concern and anyone who was there at the notified times is now a close contact.
They must isolate immediately, get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.
These close contacts’ household contacts must also isolate until they ensure the close contact tests negative.
There are currently 26 patients in hospital with COVID-19, six of which are in ICU and two of which are ventilated.
“This is a salient reminder about the impact COVID can have on you and your loved ones,” Dr Chant said.
“Follow the public health advice and minimize your exposure to others particularly in indoor settings.”
JULY 5, 2021 @1.04PM
Just under 50 per cent of staff at a locked-down Sydney nursing home have been vaccinated, it has been revealed.
A SummitCare Baulkham Hills spokesman confirmed 100 of the aged care home’s 210 staff have been vaccinated.
He said the facility is now working to vaccinate the remaining staff.
The nursing home was eerily quiet on Monday morning after two additional residents tested positive to the virus overnight.
Despite being a sunny 16C in Baulkham Hills, all the curtains at the facility were drawn.
There were a few people seen going in and out the facility across the morning.
Shortly before 1pm a patient transport ambulance arrived at the nursing home with a healthcare worker getting out and entering the facility.
It is not yet known the purpose of the visit.
The home’s chief operating officer Michelle Sloane fronted media outside the home earlier.
“We are very saddened we have two additional cases overnight that have tested positive to Covid,” she said.
“I want to extend my best wishes to all residents currently in Westmead and their families.”
Ms Sloane said 96 per cent of residents were fully vaccinated and that arrangements have been made to vaccinate the remaining four per cent.
One of two residents who tested positive overnight was not vaccinated.
Ms Sloane said that was because she was admitted to the home when an internal vaccination program for residents had been completed.
“We had been arranging for any remaining residents to receive vaccination,” she said.
Ms Sloane told reporters she could not ask or insist staff to get vaccinated before aged care workers were mandated to get a Covid-19 vaccine last month.
“Up until seven days ago we were unable to insist our staff were vaccinated and the government did mandate it on June 28,” she said.
She said unvaccinated staff could not be simply told not to come to work.
“If we said to all our unvaccinated staff don’t come to work, there’d be no one to care … that’s not just us that would be any aged care business and hospital across Sydney.
“We are taking the right precautions with the right masks and right protective gear, those residents are as safe as our staff are safe.”
Ms Sloane said she has since sent a memo to all staff urging them to get vaccinated as soon as possible if they haven’t already.
On questions raised on why there weren’t a higher number that were vaccinated she said she didn’t know specific individual reasons but said there was overall apprehension over the new vaccine.
“It’s a new vaccine. Like everyone in the community there appeared to be apprehension about having it. I think that was probably the main reason.”
So far, all positive cases have been contained to one area of the facility.
She said all staff were allocated work in one area of the facility without crossover and that they had been trained with proper donning and doffing practices.
All staff were subject to rapid testing at 6.30am each morning with results in by lunch time.
Public infection control workers were on site.
JULY 5, 2021 @ 11.30AM
Two further residents of a Baulkham Hills aged care facility have tested positive for Covid-19.
There are now five residents who have tested positive at the SummitCare facility.
Of the two new cases, both women in their 70s, one resident is fully vaccinated, and one has not been vaccinated.
The three previously reported cases were fully vaccinated.
NSW Health has said “out of an abundance of caution” all five residents have been transferred to Westmead Hospital for observation.
The wife of one of the cases, who also resides at the aged care facility, is also now at Westmead Hospital. To date, she has returned a negative COVID-19 test result.
The new unvaccinated resident case entered the home in mid May, Dr Kerry Chant said.
Dr Chant said Western Sydney Local Health District was continuing to investigate whether every case contracted the virus from the initial affected staff member or whether it was spreading from occupant to occupant.
“The cases are arising in the area where we would expect the cases to occur, there are robust infection prevention measures in place,” Dr Chant said.
“The affected staff members have been identified and put into isolation for 14 days.”
In a letter to residents sent on Sunday night, SummitCare said residents were “resting comfortably and not displaying any symptoms”.
It is being reported that while 96% of residents have been vaccinated at the centre only around a third of staff have been vaccinated.
NSW recorded 35 cases of community transmission from more than 58,000 tests in the past 24 hours.
“Can I please implore anyone with the mildest of symptoms to get tested, including crucially in the days ahead,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Of the new cases, 24 were in isolation for the entire period.
Seven cases were in the community for their entire infectious period.
“The next couple of days will be absolutely critical,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The lockdown has certainly been effective in not doubling and tripling the figures, it’s allowed them to maintain control over the virus, but when a small number of people do the wrong thing it does result in extra cases.
“Unfortunately having a party when you’re not supposed to have a party is not doing the right thing.”
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said 33 cases were linked to known cases and clusters and 30 of them were linked to household contacts.
“It’s important that we do not get fatigue with the testing,” Dr Chant said.
“We’re also calling on businesses to support their workers to take time off to get tested and that we, as business owners, do not want people with symptoms at work and that we’re not going to look at you negatively if you call in sick when you have symptoms.”
A student of Rose Bay Public School is among the new cases and they are a close contact of a previously identified case.
NSW Health is yet to determine when that person was infectious and usual cleaning protocols will be undertaken at the school as a result.
Dr Chant said there was a gathering at Meriton in Waterloo at 8pm on Saturday night and there are three new cases linked to that, with further advice about this cluster to come.
“I just want to remind young people that they too might be seriously impacted by Covid-19,” Dr Chant said.
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