New Qld case: Pinjarra Hills Nursing home worker has COVID

Confusion surrounds the arrest of a woman for allegedly lying on her Queensland border declaration pass, while the operators of a Brisbane nursing home where a staff member has tested positive for coronavirus has provided an update.

Confusion surrounds the arrest of a woman from COVID-ravaged Victoria for allegedly lying on her Queensland border declaration pass.

The woman, 51, was today issued with a notice to appear in court and placed into hotel quarantine for allegedly failing to comply with a COVID-19 border declaration.

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At a media conference this morning, Health Minister Steven Miles alleged the woman was one of two people who attempted to stow away in the back of a truck to illegally cross the border.

But police said they had attended a Gympie address at 1am today and spoke with the woman after she told them she was travelling from Victoria for essential work purposes.

“Investigations revealed that her purpose of travel was untrue,” police said in a statement.

The woman was issued with a notice to appear in Gympie Magistrates Court on November 30 and transported to hotel quarantine.

It comes as the operators of a Brisbane nursing home where a staff member has tested positive for coronavirus, has provided an update on the situation as all staff and residents are tested.

Mr Miles and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young have confirmed a woman who works at a nursing home in Brisbane’s west has contracted coronavirus.

The woman is the wife of a 27-year-old Bellbird Park man who was confirmed to have the virus yesterday.

Bolton Clarke Aged Care facility at Pinjarra Hills locked down its residents, after it became clear one of its workers was at risk.

The woman has been self-isolating since she knew there was a chance she had COVID-19.

“We are working with them (the aged care facility) to keep all residents safe,” Mr Miles said.

He said it’s possible that the workforce at the Pinjarra Hills Bolton Clarke has relationships with other workers at other aged care facilities.

A possible Covid connection has been made to Fairview aged care facility at Pinjarra Hills. Picture: Adam Head

Dr Young confirmed it was possible the new case was infectious when she worked her last shift at the aged care facility and added that authorities were expecting more cases of COVID-19 in Queensland over coming days.

“I know that the facility is organising ways for residents to talk to their families,” Dr Young said.

”We’ll see what happens over the next week or so.”

Dr Young said all residents and staff at the aged care home would be tested, with authorities trying to get through everyone on Saturday.

No residents at the Fairview aged care facility are displaying symptoms of COVID-19, Chief Operating Officer David Swain told The Sunday-Mail at midday.

Mr Swain said Bolton Clarke had received confirmation this morning that an employee at the Fairview, Pinjarra Hills community had tested positive for COVID-19.

“The team member last worked on 28 July,” Mr Swain said in a statement.

“We have been actively monitoring residents’ health and wellbeing with daily clinical observations since March and are now conducting more frequent observations as an additional precaution.”

“No residents at Fairview, Pinjarra Hills are currently symptomatic.”

Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. Picture: Annette Dew

The facility is working closely with Queensland Health to reduce any potential risk and keep residents connected to their families.

“We are implementing strengthened protection measures including all staff wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and following strict designated areas of care (cohorting),” Mr Swain said.

“Under the advice of Queensland Health, residents will continue to receive care in their rooms.”

“We have rostered additional employees and have provided extra mobile phones and iPads to site to ensure residents remain connected with their families.

“We are committed to sharing the latest information with residents and families and will continue to provide updates regularly, including through our dedicated phone line, online briefings and additional team members on site to support resident and family communication.”

Families of residents who have any questions are encouraged to call Bolton Clarke on 1300 22 11 22.

Queensland Health will also release a list of places the woman, who is aged in her 30s, has visited, if she went anywhere prior to self-isolating.

“She and her husband have been absolutely model citizens, they really and truly have been unbelievably fantastic,” Dr Young said.

“That’s the work we’ll be doing today, to find out whether there’s any other places that that lady’s been to.

“The most important one of course was her work, which was the nursing home.”

Meanwhile, two women who tested positive for coronavirus after returning to Queensland from Melbourne and Sydney are in a stable condition in hospital.

Queensland taxpayers are also paying for their family members to stay in hotel quarantine. after Dr Young requested they too be isolated.

Dr Young said she wasn’t going to criticise anyone in the southeast Queensland area who’s erring on the side of caution and cancelling parties and other reservations.

“At this point in time I am still concerned, we have had this cluster of cases and we’re not through it yet, so I think this is the time to just go back and remember all those basic principles,” she said.

“If you feel more comfortable managing your risks by cancelling things, then I commend you for it.”

Asked if it was necessary though, she said, “I’m always going to be too safe.

“I will always recommend people to err on the side of caution, it is so easy for this virus to get out of control.

“This is a virus that is very easy to transmit so I think we’ve got to be cautious, I really do.

“I don’t think you could be too cautious.”

Mr Miles confirmed more than 11,000 coronavirus tests were conducted on Friday across 56 locations.

He said waiting times for tests in Metro South were also shortened.

Parts of Brisbane and southeast Queensland are on high alert today after Queensland Health last night revealed the movements of a man who tested positive earlier this week.

Mr Miles assured locals “there’s no need to panic,” if they had visited a place that any of the confirmed cases had visited.

However, Queensland Health has advised that any individuals who have been in the below locations during the relevant times should monitor their health and immediately present for testing if they are experiencing any relevant symptoms.

26 July 2020 (11.30pm-1.35am) – Caltex Goodna – Goodna

26 July 2020 (12.30-2.10pm) – Sleeman Sports Complex* – Chandler

26 July 2020 (4-7pm) – Garden City Shopping Centre – Mount Gravatt

26 July 2020 (4-5pm) – Kmart at Garden City Shopping Centre – Mount Gravatt

26 July 2020 (4.30-5pm) – JB Hi-Fi at Garden City Shopping Centre – Mount Gravatt

26 July 2020 (around 5pm) – MOS Burger at Garden City Shopping Centre – Mount Gravatt

26 July 2020 (around 6pm) – Chatime at Garden City – Mount Gravatt

27 July 2020 (10-10.30am) – Cafe 63 – Redbank Plains

27 July 2020 (11am-1pm) – Bunnings Springfield – Springfield

27 July 2020 (3.15-4pm) – Bunnings Oxley – Oxley

27 July 2020 (6-8.30pm) – Basketball Court Springfield Lakes* – Springfield Lakes

27 July 2020 (8.45-8.55pm) – Nando’s Kenmore – Kenmore

28 July 2020 (8.40-8.45am) – Caltex Wacol – Wacol

29 July 2020 (around 10.45am) – Richlands Medical Centre Richlands Plaza – Richlands

29 July 2020 (around 11.35am) – SNP Collection Centre Forest Lake – Forest Lake

Bunnings at Oxley. Picture: Richard Walker

Bunnings Chief Operating Officer Deb Poole confirmed this morning that the stores visited by the Bellbird Park man have been deep cleaned numerous times.

“The stores have each undergone five deep cleans using disinfectants since Monday as well as the routine cleaning that occurs throughout each day,” Ms Poole said.

The hardwares giant has put in place “incredibly comprehensive protocols” for hygiene and cleaning during COVID-19 across all stores.

“Over the past few months, we’ve been taking extra steps in store to keep our team and customers safe including implementing extensive physical distancing measures and deep cleaning all stores daily as well as undertaking regular cleans throughout the day,” Ms Poole said.

Originally published as New Qld case: Pinjarra Hills Nursing home worker has COVID