Wonthaggi aged care staff member tests positive to Covid

Vulnerable residents at a Wonthaggi nursing home have been exposed to Covid after a staff member tested positive.

A Wonthaggi nursing home has been exposed to Covid after a staff member tested positive to the virus.

The Bass Coast Health employee worked at Kirrak House between 1:30pm and 10pm during their infectious period on October 19.

The staff member, who was double vaccinated, was asymptomatic and did not enter any other facilities within the Wonthaggi Hospital campus.

Chief executive officer Jan Child said Bass Coast Health were well prepared for positive cases.

“While we are disappointed that one of our most vulnerable settings has been impacted, we are relieved that most of our residents are double vaccinated, and all our staff are vaccinated,” she said.

Bass Coast Health activated their outbreak plan which included resident room care only and stopped visits from family and friends.

All staff have moved to wearing full level three PPE and at risk staff who were exposed have been granted a leave of absence.

The area has been cleaned and staff and residents were tested.

Ms Child said the high levels of community transmission make exposures “somewhat inevitable”.

“We know that Covid is in our community and that we are all at risk of contracting Covid as we go about our lives, because of the significant levels of community transmission.”

This comes after Gippsland Region Public Health Unit confirmed there were 16 active cases in Bass Coast but 479 across Gippsland on Thursday.

A spokesperson said there was a difference between active cases Gippsland Region Public Health Unit report compared to the department of health.

“Case numbers fluctuate constantly,” they said.

“The active case numbers we report are a snapshot of data available at that particular time.”

The spokesperson said they report on active cases it directly manages in Gippsland’s six local government areas, as opposed to a region.

“Some towns within the Bass Coast region may in fact be located out of Bass Coast Shire,” they said.

“We also make adjustments where we know a case has relocated out of Gippsland entirely or whether they have relocated to another local government area.”

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