Hunter Covid: Nine staff from seven disability support providers worked while infected with virus
Rolling coverage: The Hunter’s top doctor said cases numbers would move up and down as the region recorded 15 new infections. It comes as nine disability support workers from seven providers tested positive.
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The Hunter has recorded 15 new Covid cases, of which seven were infectious while in the community. It comes as nine workers connected to seven different disability support providers tested positive, prompting priority vaccinations at the Belmont hub.
The region’s total number of cases since the beginning of the Delta outbreak has climbed to 141, while the overall Hunter New England Local Health District total has reached 145.
All of the cases were linked to known cases and one was linked to the aged care cluster.
Hunter New England Health public health physician Dr David Durrheim said case numbers for the region would continue to move up and down each day.
“There’s good and there’s bad news,” Dr Durrheim said.
“The good news, all 15 cases are linked to known chains of transmission (and) that’s a sign that we really do understand where the virus is at the moment.
“We’re obviously still behind the virus, but not very far behind.
“The bad news though is that seven of the 15 new cases were actually active in the community while infectious.”
Of the new cases, 10 were from Newcastle, including eight from Elermore Vale, one from New Lambton and one from New Lambton Heights.
Three cases were from Lake Macquarie, including two from Cardiff and one from Barnsley, while two were from Maitland, including one from Ashtofield and one from Bolwarra Heights.
Meanwhile, it’s been confirmed nine workers connected to seven Hunter disability support providers worked while infected with Covid.
The staff members, who were unknowingly infectious while working at individual and group homes in Lambton, Glendale, Adamstown, Gateshead, Wallsend, Nelson Bay, Hamilton, Maryland and Ashtonfield, were all linked to known community clusters.
Disability support workers are sometimes employed by agencies and rostered to the homes of various providers to meet staff shortages.
Hunter New England Health medical controller Dr Paul Craven said the health district was working with the affected support agencies – ConnectAbility, Lifestyle Solutions, Solid Holistic Care, PHM Health, Samaritans, Ability Options and New Horizons.
“The majority of the residents at these facilities are partially or fully vaccinated,” Dr Craven said.
“The district is collaborating with private pathology partners and the care providers to ensure that residents affected are tested promptly in a supportive environment.
“To date, none of the residents or other staff tested have returned positive results.”
Dr Craven said disability workers would be given priority appointments at the Belmont Mass Vaccination Hub this week in response to the cases.
ConnectAbility, one of the affected providers, had three of its workers test positive.
The service was first notified of a positive case on Monday, but two other workers who were close contacts have since tested positive.
Other staff and residents from affected group homes in Merewether, Lambton and Glendale were in isolation.
ConnectAbility Australia CEO David Carey said other test results had so far returned negative, but the situation was evolving.
“This could change because there is daily swab testing, this could be a bit of a rollercoaster ride,” Mr Carey said.
Test results were outstanding for the Merewether and Glendale properties as of Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Carey staff had moved to an elevated level of caution and increased personal protective equipment.
“Our residents, which have both severe and profound disabilities, have trouble identifying staff they know,” he said.
“A lot of them don’t even comprehend the pandemic or what Covid even is.
“We’re working to make sure they’re not stressing too much and that staff are being supported in their role.”
Elsewhere in the Hunter the Australian Defence Force has been deployed to help police monitor Covid compliance.
About 50 defence personnel will conduct welfare door knocks and compliance checks of stay-at-home and self-isolation orders.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing, Regional NSW Field Operations, welcomed the arrival of troops.
“The NSW Police Force has a long history of co-operation with the ADF and they have provided vital assistance over the past 18 months,” Deputy Commissioner Willing said.
“First and foremost, the troops are there to support the community alongside police. Among other tasks, you will see them delivering hampers and checking on the welfare of our most vulnerable people.”
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- Bizarre coincidence behind the Hunter’s Covid crisis
WEDNESDAY’S ROLLING COVERAGE
Nine disability workers positive, priority vaccines
At 3pm
It’s been confirmed nine workers connected to seven Hunter disability support providers worked while infected with Covid.
The staff members, who were unknowingly infectious while working at individual and group homes in Lambton, Glendale, Adamstown, Gateshead, Wallsend, Nelson Bay, Hamilton, Maryland and Ashtonfield, were all linked to known community clusters.
Disability support workers are sometimes employed by agencies and rostered to the homes of various providers to meet staff shortages.
Hunter New England Health medical controller Dr Paul Craven said the health district was working with the affected support agencies – ConnectAbility, Lifestyle Solutions, Solid Holistic Care, PHM Health, Samaritans, Ability Options and New Horizons.
“The majority of the residents at these facilities are partially or fully vaccinated,” Dr Craven said.
“The district is collaborating with private pathology partners and the care providers to ensure that residents affected are tested promptly in a supportive environment.
“To date, none of the residents or other staff tested have returned positive results.”
Dr Craven said disability workers would be given priority appointments at the Belmont Mass Vaccination Hub this week in response to the cases.
Hunter cases are ‘good and bad news’
At 2.30pm
Hunter New England Health public health physician Dr David Durrheim said case numbers for the region would continue to move up and down each day.
“There’s good and there’s bad news,” Dr Durrheim said.
“The good news, all 15 cases are linked to known chains of transmission (and) that’s a sign that we really do understand where the virus is at the moment.
“We’re obviously still behind the virus, but not very far behind.
“The bad news though is that seven of the 15 new cases were actually active in the community while infectious.”
15 new Hunter cases
At 11am
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced 633 new cases of Covid across the state, with Hunter New England Health confirming 15 new cases in the Hunter and Newcastle region.
The new cases take the region’s total for this outbreak to 141, and the overall HNELHD total to 145, although no new cases were recorded in the New England region.
A HNELHD spokesman said 10 new cases were from the Newcastle Local Government Area with eight cases in Elermore Vale, one in New Lambton and one case in New Lambton Heights.
There cases were recorded in the Lake Macquarie Local Government Area, with two in Cardiff and one in Barnsley.
The remaining two cases were from the Maitland Local Government Area, with one case in Ashtofield and one in Bolwarra Heights.
“All are linked to previously reported cases,” the spokesman said. “Seven were infectious while in the community.
“One case was associated with the aged care cluster.”
ADF deployed to the Hunter
At 9.30am
The ADF has been deployed to the Hunter to help police monitor Covid compliance.
About 50 defence personnel will conduct welfare door knocks and compliance checks of stay-at-home and self-isolation orders.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing, Regional NSW Field Operations, welcomed the arrival of troops.
“The NSW Police Force has a long history of co-operation with the ADF and they have provided vital assistance over the past 18 months,” Deputy Commissioner Willing said.
“First and foremost, the troops are there to support the community alongside police. Among other tasks, you will see them delivering hampers and checking on the welfare of our most vulnerable people.
“I want to thank them for their help and again appeal to everyone across our regions to stay at home as much as possible – please do everything you can to help us stop the spread.”
Support workers contract Covid
At 8am
Three workers providing disability support in three group homes across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie have contracted Covid.
ConnectAbility, which provides disability and aged care services in the Hunter, said in a statement homes in Merewether, Lambton and Glendale were affected.
A ConnectAbility spokesperson said all affected staff were quarantining while other staff and residents were isolating and awaiting test results.
“We continue to work with NSW Health and in collaboration with other agencies, are implementing additional infection control and other measures to safeguard the health and welfare of customers,” the spokesperson said.
New exposure sites
At 7.30am
New close and casual Hunter exposure sites have been identified by NSW Health.
People who attended the below venues are considered close contacts and must immediately seek testing and isolate for 14 days, and wait for advice from NSW Health:
- NewsXpress East Maitland (East Maitland News and Gifts on Lawes St) on Thursday 12 August from 6am – 11.10am
People who attended the below venues are considered casual contacts and must isolate until a negative test result is received:
- The Steggles Shop Beresfield on Thursday, 12 August from 7.21am to 10.47am
- Reject Shop Kotara on Saturday 7 August from 11.30am – 12pm
- Grill’d The Junction on Sunday 8 August from 1pm – 1.10pm
- Reject Shop Maitland on Monday 9 August from 10.29am – 10.35am
- Coastal Electronic Repairs Jewells on Wednesday 4 August from 10.45am – 11am
- Dunkley Dash Espresso Hut Mount Hutton on Monday 2 August from 6.25am – 6.35am, Tuesday 3 August from 6.25am – 6.35am, Wednesday 4 August from 6.25am – 6.35am, Thursday 5 August from 6.25am – 6.35am, Friday 6 August from 6.25am – 6.35am, and Saturday 7 August from 6.25am – 6.35am
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