Hunter Covid: 11 cases at RFBI Hawkins Masonic Village aged care, staff from three homes test positive
Staff at three aged care homes have tested positive and 11 residents are in hospital, as Covid is found in sewage in more suburbs. Read our rolling coverage.
Newcastle
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Eleven aged care residents from an Edgeworth home have tested positive to Covid-19.
Affected residents at the RFBI Hawkins Masonic Village at Edgeworth have been taken to John Hunter Hospital as a precaution and are said to all be in “good health and good spirits”.
It comes after three staff members at the facility tested positive to the virus.
The first case was known on Monday, while it was learned that two other staff members tested positive to Covid-19 on Wednesday morning.
The were already part of the day’s numbers and were in isolation.
The residents will be included in the region’s case numbers announced on Thursday.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ROLLING COVERAGE
RFBI CEO Frank Price said of the 11 residents who tested positive, 10 were fully vaccinated.
“All family members were notified as soon as we got the information,” Mr Price said.
“Deep cleans have been happening since finding out about the first staff member, with an extra cleaning regime.
“Our workforce and residents are all being tested again this afternoon to make sure we haven’t got anyone else that is slipping through the first round of testing.”
Mr Price said the challenge would become maintaining the facility’s workforce.
“If compounded, people are afraid at working in an environment where they could take the virus home to their families, and to make it even worse anyone that is a close contact has to be at home for two weeks,” he said.
“If that ends up being a majority of our workforce then we’ve got a real challenge, just like a lot of other aged care facilities.”
Fortunately though, unlike this time last year, most are vaccinated and proving to be effective.
“Keeping people out of hospital for illness and worse still death, vaccines do work, we just need to get the message across to everyone.”
Residents at another aged care facility, Anglican Care’s Jesmond Grove, are in lockdown and undergoing testing after a staff member there was found to be Covid-positive.
“Anglican Care can confirm an employee working at Jesmond Grove has tested positive for Covid-19,” Anglican Care said in a statement.
“The employee last attended the home on August 8. Anglican Care was made aware of the positive result on the evening of August 10.
“Anglican Care is following the guidance of the NSW Health and has enacted its Covid-19 Pandemic Response Plan to support employees and residents.
“The facility is in lockdown, and we are following health advice regarding testing and isolation requirements for residents and employees. All residents will be tested on August 11.
“Anglican Care will continue to assess all residents multiple times daily for signs and symptoms of the virus.”
Residents at a third aged care facility, HammondCare’s Tinonee Gardens at Waratah, all tested negative for Covid after a staff member there contracted the virus.
HammondCare CEO Mike Baird said residents and staff would continue to be tested daily.
“It’s good news for our staff and good news for our residents and families,” Mr Baird said.
“We’ll continue the testing in accordance the public health unit, but as we await they’re instructions we’re doing it on a daily basis.”
SCROLL DOWN FOR ROLLING COVERAGE
Mr Baird said the cases at the Edgeworth facility, although connected to another provider, were a concern.
“When you see any aged care provider where a case comes and we know how vulnerable our residents are,” he said.
“Everyone in this sector is here for one reason – to care after our elderly.”
The spread of Covid-19 has reached new areas of the Hunter, with authorities reporting sewage detections for the first time at Toronto and Raymond Terrace.
Fresh detections at sewage treatment plants have also been found at the Shortland and Burwood treatment plants.
“Sewage surveillance is a critical part of us knowing what is happening with the Covid-19 virus in our community,’’ Hunter New England Health public health controller, Dr David Durrheim, said on Wednesday.
“Sewage surveillance preceded our detection of the first cases in Kurri Kurri, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
“And so wherever sewage detects occur we have to take them very seriously.
“So the new detects in the Toronto area and the Raymond Terrace area should really prompt the communities in those areas not to ignore even the mildest of the symptoms. Please go out, get tested, isolate until you get a negative result.’’
The detections came after Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned the Hunter’s lockdown will continue after the region recorded a further 14 Covid cases.
There have now been 53 positive cases across the Hunter since August 5 – the day the region was first plunged into lockdown.
“So the Hunter does not look like it will come out [of lockdown] later this week, however we will await the health advice,’’ Ms Berejiklian said.
Of the 14 news cases, Hunter New England Health said seven were from the Newcastle local government area, six were from Lake Macquarie and one was from Maitland.
Eleven of the Hunter cases are linked to previously reported cases while three are still under investigation.
Nine of the new infections were people aged under 30 and six of the 14 Hunter cases were active in the community while infectious.
There were 344 new cases across NSW and two deaths - a man aged in his 90s and a man aged in his 30s.
Some 374 remain in hospital with 62 in intensive care.
SCROLL DOWN FOR ROLLING COVERAGE
There were no new cases recorded in Tamworth and Armidale, both in the Hunter New England Health District.
“Seeing two days with double figures of new cases in the greater Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland area is really a source of concern,’’ Dr Durrheim said.
“We are not through this yet. We have to muscle up, we have to work hard as a community, make sure we don’t get out, don’t congregate, don’t spread the virus.’’
San Clemente High School at Mayfield has shut until further notice after being advised of a positive Covid-19 case.
The school posted the announcement on their Facebook page, stating: “The Catholic Schools Office has been advised by NSW Health that a member of the SCM school community has tested positive for Covid-19.
“Our school will be non-operational on Wednesday 11 August 2021 until further notice for the on-site attendance of students, staff, and visitors to allow time for contact tracing and cleaning.
“All staff and students are asked to self-isolate until they receive further advice.’’
More Covid news:
- Top tips: Hunter principals, parents on home schooling
- Superspreader house party now epicentre of Hunter breakout
- Revealed: Vax rates, Covid cases, where to get the jab near you
- Hotel quarantine opens at Newcastle site, more planned
- Opinion: Series of failures let Delta spread to regions
WEDNESDAY’S ROLLING COVERAGE:
Supermarket and bakery on alert list
At 6pm
Woolworths Cardiff and The Grumpy Baker at The Junction have been added to the Hunter’s exposure sites list.
- Woolworths Cardiff: Monday, August 2 from 1pm-6pm, Tuesday, August 3 from 7am-10.45am, and Saturday, August 7 from 1.15pm-2pm
- The Grumpy Baker: Tuesday, August 3 from 12.25pm-12.30pm
Staff positive at third aged care home
At 5pm
Residents at another aged care facility, Anglican Care’s Jesmond Grove, are in lockdown and undergoing testing after a staff member there was found to be Covid-positive.
“Anglican Care can confirm an employee working at Jesmond Grove has tested positive for Covid-19,” Anglican Care said in a statement.
“The employee last attended the home on August 8. Anglican Care was made aware of the positive result on the evening of August 10.
“Anglican Care is following the guidance of the NSW Health and has enacted its Covid-19 Pandemic Response Plan to support employees and residents.
“The facility is in lockdown, and we are following health advice regarding testing and isolation requirements for residents and employees. All residents will be tested on August 11.
“Anglican Care will continue to assess all residents multiple times daily for signs and symptoms of the virus.”
AZ, bookings at vaccine hub
At 4pm
Hunter New England Health said 63 per cent of people who were given a priority booking code, when their vaccination appointment was cancelled at the Belmont hub due to the Pfizer redirection, have now rebooked.
It also said AstraZeneca was now available at the hub, which had previously only offered Pfizer.
Hunter police hand out more fines
At 2.30pm
Hunter police continue to hand out $1000 fines for those breaching the public health order, with a further 67 PINs issued across the region’s four police districts on Tuesday.
The total number of fines across the Hunter since lockdown is now 299.
Tuesday’s breakdown of fines issued:
PORT STEPHENS – 9
HUNTER VALLEY – 5
NEWCASTLE CITY – 22
LAKE MACQUARIE – 31
Total since lockdown (August 5):
PORT STEPHENS – 67
HUNTER VALLEY – 53
NEWCASTLE CITY – 77
LAKE MACQUARIE – 102
Aged care residents contract Covid
At 2pm
Eleven aged care residents from an Edgeworth home have tested positive to Covid-19.
Affected residents at the RFBI Hawkins Masonic Village at Edgeworth have been taken to John Hunter Hospital as a precaution and are said to all be in “good health and good spirits”.
It comes after three staff members at the facility tested positive to the virus.
The first case was known on Monday, while it was learned that two other staff members tested positive to Covid-19 on Wednesday morning.
The were already part of the day’s numbers and were in isolation.
The residents will be included in the region’s case numbers announced on Thursday.
Residents at another aged care facility, HammondCare’s Tinonee Gardens at Waratah, all tested negative for Covid after a staff member there contracted the virus.
Covid found in more sewage
At 2pm
The spread of Covid-19 has reached new areas of the Hunter, with authorities reporting sewage detecti
“Sewage surveillance is a critical part of us knowing what is happening with the Covid-19 virus in our community,’’ Hunter New England Health public health controller, Dr David Durrheim, said on Wednesday.
“Sewage surveillance preceded our detection of the first cases in Kurri Kurri, Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
“And so wherever sewage detects occur we have to take them very seriously.
“So the new detects in the Toronto area and the Raymond Terrace area should really prompt the communities in those areas not to ignore even the mildest of the symptoms. Please go out, get tested, isolate until you get a negative result.’’
Businesses call for clear advice
At 1pm
The Hunter’s peak business organisation has called for clearer messaging around the region’s lockdown extension.
Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes said the lack of clarification was contributing to business uncertainty.
“The deferral of providing clear advice regarding the lockdown means businesses are less able to focus their concerns on things they can control and there is now growing anxiety over issues that businesses can’t control,” Mr Hawes said.
“Business wants to be able submit orders, renew staff rosters, pivot the business to the restrictions, making decisions that will keep their business afloat.
“They can’t do this under the cloud of ‘what will the advice tell us’, when will things return to normal and at what increment, what the vaccination uptake is and how to protect their businesses from a lack of compliance by individuals still breaching orders.”
Case at Crossroad zone athletics carnival
At 11.30am
The Hunter Sports Centre has announced on social media that it has been alerted to a positive case attending the Glendale centre on August 3.
The Facebook post says: “The Hunter Sports Centre has been contacted by NSW Health as a reported venue were a Covid-19 positive person attended the Crossroad Zone Athletics Carnival on the Tuesday, August 3 2021 between 9.30am-12.30pm.
“Anyone attending the athletics event during this time is classified as a casual contact and is required to follow NSW Health guideline for tested and isolation.
“NSW Health will be providing further information to the community regarding this exposure site and we will keep you update as further information is provided.”
Hunter records 14 new cases
At 11am
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned the Hunter’s lockdown will continue after the region recorded a further 14 Covid cases.
There have now been 53 positive cases across the Hunter since August 5 – the day the region was first plunged into lockdown.
“So the Hunter does not look like it will come out [of lockdown] later this week, however we will await the health advice,’’ Ms Berejiklian said.
Of the 14 news cases, Hunter New England Health said seven were from the Newcastle local government area, six were from Lake Macquarie and one was from Maitland.
Eleven of the Hunter cases are linked to previously reported cases while three are still under investigation.
Nine of the new infections were people aged under 30 and six of the 14 Hunter cases were active in the community while infectious.
Covid at San Clemente High School
At 9.20am
San Clemente High School at Mayfield has shut until further notice after being advised of a positive Covid-19 case.
The school posted the announcement on their Facebook page, stating: “The Catholic Schools Office has been advised by NSW Health that a member of the SCM school community has tested positive for Covid-19.
“Our school will be non-operational on Wednesday, August 11 2021 until further notice for the on-site attendance of students, staff, and visitors to allow time for contact tracing and cleaning.
“All staff and students are asked to self-isolate until they receive further advice”
Extra testing clinics open
At 8am
Three new Covid testing clinics have opened across the region.
No bookings or GP referrals are required.
- Speers Point drive-through clinic: Speers Point Park, 7.30am-4pm Monday-Saturday
- Wickham drive-through clinic: Passmore Oval, 7.30am-4pm Monday-Saturday
- Dungog drive-through clinic: Dungog Bowling Club, 8am-6pm seven days
The University of Newcastle drive-through clinic is also expected to reopen to the public on Wednesday, after closing to test 800 potentially exposed students on Tuesday.
Exposure list grows
At 7am
More venues have been identified as exposure sites 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:
- Honeysuckle Social, Newcastle on Thursday, August 5 from 12.10pm-1.50pm
- Central Charlestown Leagues Club Monday, August 2 from 12pm-5pm, Tuesday, August 3 from 5.30pm-9.20pm, and Wednesday, August 4 from 4.40pm-8.45pm
- Queen’s Wharf Hotel on Sunday, August 1 from 8.15pm-9.20pm
- Bus 269 Booragul to Warners Bay on Tuesday, August 3 from 10.15am-10.27am, Wednesday, August 4 from 10.18am-10.29am, and Thursday, August 5 from 10.16am-10.28am
People who attended the below venues are considered casual contacts and must isolate until a negative test result is received:
- Ghanda Clothing, Charlestown Square on Wednesday, August 4 from 9.05am-9.15am
- Guardian Chemist, Warners Bay on Friday, August 6 from 3.30pm-4pm
- XS Espresso, Jesmond on Sunday, August 1 from 12.16pm-1.30pm
- Caltex, Elermore Vale on Thursday, August 5 from 8.45am-9.15am
- Metro Service Station, Williamtown on Friday, August 6 from 10.50am-11.10am
- Big W, Jesmond on Thursday, July 29 from 8pm-8.30pm
- Hungry Jacks, Jesmond on Monday, August 2 from 3pm-3.15pm
- Pizza Hut, Jesmond on Monday, August 2 from 7.50pm-8pm
- Ritchie’s IGA, New Lambton on Tuesday, August 3 from 2.35pm-2.45pm
- Woolworths, Newcastle West on Tuesday, August 3 from 9.30am-9.50am, Wednesday, August 4 from 1pm-1.20pm Coles, Waratah on Thursday, August 5 from 1pm-1.40pm
- The Great Northern Hotel Newcastle on Friday, July 30 from 7pm-8pm
- Babylon Newcastle on Friday, July 30 from 8.05pm-8.30pm
- The Cambridge Hotel Newcastle on Friday, July 30 from 8.45pm-3am
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