Coronavirus Victoria: St Basil’s aged care on notice from authorities

The source of one of Melbourne’s largest coronavirus outbreaks is now under federal investigation, as residents are evacuated en masse.

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The aged care watchdog has put St Basil’s aged care home in the Melbourne suburb of Fawkner on notice as residents are evacuated from the coronavirus-plagued facility.

Health Minister Greg Hunt on Tuesday confirmed the federal agency was investigating the home.

Almost 700 of the cases in Victoria are in aged care with 84 of those from St Basil’s.

Mr Hunt told ABC Breakfast the Victorian Public Health Unit instructed all staff to immediately isolate, and emergency staff had been brought in.

“Seventy-nine of 115 residents have now been transferred,” Mr Hunt said.

“Our role is to make sure that those remaining residents are safe, and the advice that I had as of late last night and early this morning is that the conditions are stable. The staffing is led by a very experienced nurse unit manager.”

Health Minister Greg Hunt says aged care staff are doing their best. Picture Gary Ramage

More residents may be transferred on Tuesday depending on medical advice.

Families of loved ones in the home have repeatedly raised concerns about the handling of the outbreak, including communication.

Mr Hunt said the Archbishop, who oversees St Basil’s, was “deeply thankful”.

Staff in the aged care sector will from Wednesday be paid pandemic leave for two weeks if they are forced to self-isolate due to COVID-19 under a decision by the Fair Work Commission.

The Health Minister also had a message for Black Lives Matter protesters planning to attend a demonstration at the Domain in Sydney on Tuesday.

“Please, do not go,” he said.

“Express your views on social media, a silent vigil outside of your place of residence, whatever other means, but not gathering in large groups.”