Nursing home toll at 11 as five more die

A coronavirus outbreak at an aged-care home in Sydney’s west has claimed a further five lives since Monday.

Anglicare Newmarch House in Western Sydney where 11 people have died. Picture: AAP.

A coronavirus outbreak at an aged-care home in Sydney’s west has claimed a further five lives since Monday, taking the national death toll to 88 and NSW’s to 41.

Anglicare’s Newmarch House at Caddens has now lost 11 residents to the virus since an outbreak began on April 11.

While extending sympathies to the families and staff who cared for the residents, Anglicare said it would be “some weeks” before­ the home was clear of the virus.

The outbreak has been traced back to a staff member who worked for six days without knowing she had the virus, as she had only mild symptoms.

NSW Health announced on Tuesday morning that an 89-year-old female resident had died. Four further deaths were announced by Anglicare in the afternoon.

Their ages and medical histories have yet to be released. “This is a tragic time not only for the families who have lost their loved ones, but for other residents and families. It is also taking a deep toll on our staff who cared for and knew these residents and families so well,” a statement from Anglicare read.

As of Tuesday morning, there were 34 residents and 20 staff members at the facility who had tested positive for COVID-19.

A NSW Health spokeswoman told The Australian the residents who have tested positive range in age from 67 to 101. None of the residents or staff are in an ICU and none are being ventilated. One of the residents who died was an inpatient in a hospital, whereas the other infected residents are all being cared for onsite.

Mary Watson, whose 93-year-old mother is one of the infected residents, is one of a few relatives who have been staging daily protests­ outside the home since the outbreak began.

She told Nine News she was concerned residents were “dropping like flies” and her mother was now worried “this is it” for her life.

Ms Watson said she hoped the residents who died had been able to see their families.

“I hope they did because we’re not and it’s heartbreaking,” she said. “I don’t want the last time I see my mother to be when she’s taking her last breath.”

Anglicare said NSW Health and the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District were providing support to the home, and that an infectious diseases specialist and support team were onboard to ensure residents received the best care possible.

The home has also been given access to surge staff via healthcare solutions provider Aspen Medical. An Anglicare spokesman said every resident who had tested positive was self-isolating in their rooms, with strict personal protect­ive equipment and hygiene guidelines in place for staff who were administering treatment.

“For the past month we have been screening staff and visitors at the door, asking if they have recent­ly returned from overseas or had contact with anyone who had travelled, or if they’d presented with any symptoms,” the spokesman said. “Since the March 23 lockdown we have had no visit­ors except for special circumstances when we know someone is about to die, and this has been welcomed by all residents and staff as a strong preventive measure.”

He said Anglicare, which runs 21 other aged-care facilities in NSW, was “constantly reviewing” processes to make sure it was prepared for any further outbreaks.

Federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the deaths underlined “the dangers COVID-­19 poses for vulnerable and senior Australians”.

The outbreak follows another at BaptistCare’s Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Macquarie Park in northwestern Sydney, where six residents died. Sixteen residents and five staff members tested positive at that facility.