Age care worker who lost dad in pandemic says history is repeating itself

A Melbourne health care worker who lost her dad in last year’s outbreak has been left shocked by a decision that could see history repeat itself.

Melbourne health care worker Evagelia Takis perhaps knows about the devastating effect of covid-19 as well as anybody in Australia.

As the virus swept through her state last year her father became one of the 800 people killed by the disease, just five days after he was tested.

He was a resident at the worst-affected aged care home in the state. Last July and August, 45 of St Basil’s 117 residents died from the virus.

Now she is seeing history repeat itself.

A huge health response is underway at four aged care facilities after they were linked to Victoria’s growing Covid-19 outbreak.

Evagelia Takis lost her dad in last year’s outbreak.

As concerns grew yesterday, it was also revealed that the Federal Government quietly overturned a rule in November that private residential aged care staff were not to work at multiple sites.

Speaking to Sunrise this morning, Ms Takis said she couldn’t believe what she was reading when she saw the news.

“I feel bitter watching history repeating itself. It just seems like they (the federal government) are not taking this pandemic seriously,” she said.

“Aged care residents are needing to be prevented from the situations, because they’re the most vulnerable, and we need to take care of our elderly residents and at the key for them.

“It just feels like a year ago, my father had passed away, and my family is still grieving and

traumatised by the whole ordeal and situation. Changes need to happen soon.”

"I feel bitter watching history repeating itself"

Evagelia Takis, whose dad died from COVID-19 in aged care last year, is outraged after it was revealed a rule banning staff from working at multiple facilities was quietly overturned in November. pic.twitter.com/yTUCT5kL1c

— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) May 31, 2021

Justice Party leader Derryn Hinch appeared on the show after Ms Takis, blasting the decision to allow aged care workers to move between sites as a “disgrace”.

“This is a disgrace, it really is a national disgrace, because it reminds me of George Bush when he said, ‘mission accomplished’ Before the Iraqi war was over,” he said.

“There should be not one aged care worker or resident that isn’t protected. They’re the most vulnerable people in this country, I’m amazed, I really am.”

Three new locally acquired cases were yesterday linked to private aged care, including the son of a worker who previously tested positive from Arcare Maidstone, the staff member who worked at the two facilities and a resident in her 90s from Arcare Maidstone.

Public aged care facilities in Victoria, managed by the Victorian Government, have rules in place banning staff from working at multiple sites.

But private aged care facilities in Victoria, managed by the Morrison Government, have allowed staff to work at more than one site.

News.com.au has confirmed that an incentive scheme was implemented in private residential aged care last year following the Covid-related deaths of 655 Victorian aged care residents.

It meant staff were paid more to compensate for not being allowed to work at multiple sites.

But the scheme was quietly lifted on November 30. It was only reintroduced last week as Victoria dealt with a new outbreak.

Fears over current aged care outbreak

There are fears more cases will emerge in aged care after three of Monday’s five new local infections were linked to the sector.

Minister Health Martin Foley said one was the son of the first case in aged care – reported on Sunday – at the Arcare Maidstone facility.

Another case was a staff member at the same nursing home – the woman, who was not vaccinated, worked alongside the initial case.

Mr Foley said the third case was a resident at the Arcare Maidstone home. She was a woman in her 90s, asymptomatic and had been transferred to hospital.

Victoria Minister Health Martin Foley says three of Monday’s five cases have come from aged care. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

It means two staff members and one resident have contracted coronavirus at Arcare Maidstone overall, while it was also revealed on Monday another worker at the BlueCross Western Gardens nursing home in Sunshine tested positive on Sunday night.

Two other Royal Freemasons sites were also on high alert after two workers – one from Coppin Centre and the other from Royal Freemasons Footscray – worked at the Arcare Maidstone facility in the past week.

The Royal Freemasons was notified of the link at 6am on Sunday and immediately locked down the facilities, notified the Department of Health and commenced full PPE and testing of all residents and staff.

No staff or residents at Royal Freemasons have tested positive at this stage.

Arcare Maidstone issued a public statement on Monday saying the ill resident had received one dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Meanwhile, in a letter sent to families by BlueCross Western Gardens aged care home and published on 3AW, the facility said its residents were being quarantined in their rooms and were symptom-free after a worker tested positive on Sunday night.

The worker was a close contact of a positive worker at another aged care facility. It’s not known if the Blue Cross Western Gardens staff member worked alongside the other positive aged care worker.

– with NCA NewsWire