Gold Coast nursing homes Varsity Views, Bupa Tugun at epicentre of Covid-19 aged care outbreak

Gold Coast nursing homes are at the epicentre of a devastating aged care Covid outbreak, as hospitalisations statewide reach their highest level of the pandemic so far

Gold Coast nursing homes are at the epicentre of a devastating aged care Covid outbreak with five local residents dead and hospitalisations statewide reaching their highest level of the pandemic so far.

New federal health data shows the largest active outbreaks in Queensland facilities are currently at Varsity Views Care Community (64 infected residents, one death, 25 infected staff), Bupa Tugun (61 infected residents, two deaths, 21 infected staff) and Ozcare Villa Vincent in Townsville (57 infected residents, two deaths, 37 infected staff).

Another 46 residents have tested positive at Arcare Hope Island, where 10 staff are infected and two people have died.

Five residents of the Gold Coast aged care homes have died during the current outbreak.

With the aged care industry already struggling to hire and retain staff, the biggest fear is a repeat of the first Omicron wave in January — when a third of shifts were going unfilled due to illness.

It has prompted the industry peak body, Aged Community Care Providers Association (ACCPA), to call for the federal government to extend the presence of the military past the mid-August end date.

Nationally, the ratio of aged care homes battling Covid-19 outbreaks has increased week-on-week from one in five to one in three.

Varsity Views has 64 residents who are Covid positive. Picture: Richard Gosling

At Varsity Views Care Centre, 49 of the 64 cases had tested positive in the last seven days.

An exhausted staffer at the home, who wished to remain anonymous, said the virus was taking its toll.

“Everyone’s either had it or got it right now,” they said.

“Some floors are completely locked down where numbers are bad, but other than that things are still operating largely as normal.

“Nurses take food from the kitchens to the residents – we wear full protective clothing but we’re short staffed because the virus which keeps spreading.

“I had it myself last week.”

Despite the surging numbers, the centre on Sunday continued to operate largely as normal.

Families came and went, some taking loved ones out for a stroll in the sunshine or for lunch in one of the bustling local cafés.

The only indicator of any crisis behind the walls were the staff, dressed in full PPE and waiting to check-in visitors and issue them with masks.

“I’ve been able to visit my Dad who’s lived here for two years without any issues,” a man who wished to be only be known as Mick told The Bulletin.

“We can visit as long as we make an appointment and wear masks – it’s good that the residents aren’t isolated.

“It’s far more relaxed than previous lockdowns.”

Varsity Views has 64 residents who are Covid positive. Picture: Richard Gosling

Another visitor said his father, aged 98, had caught the virus in the outbreak but had since made a full recovery.

“Sure they’ve got a few numbers here, but the staff have been great, and I’m not worried,” he said.

Managerial staff at Varsity Views declined to answer the Bulletin’s requests for comment, however another staffer confirmed that there were no plans to lock the centre down.

The worsening situation within the facility was also reflected in the state’s wider case numbers, with 5989 new infections recorded on Sunday, alongside 22 deaths and 14 admissions to the ICU reported on Saturday.

It brings the total number of active cases in Queensland to 46,699, with 876 people currently in hospital with the virus, and a further 54 admitted with severe flu.

Originally published as Gold Coast nursing homes Varsity Views, Bupa Tugun at epicentre of Covid-19 aged care outbreak