Dozens of residents test positive at Grovedale aged care home

Dozens of Covid outbreaks and exposures have hit aged care homes in the region and multiple residents have died after contracting the virus so far this year.

Dozens of Covid outbreaks and exposures have hit aged care homes in the region and multiple residents have died after contracting the virus so far this year.

New data revealed as of Thursday, since the start of 2022 in the Barwon South-West region there had been eight Covid deaths among aged care residents confirmed to have contracted the virus.

Twelve had been hospitalised, the figures provided by Barwon Health showed.

“These hospitalisations and deaths are linked to 48 aged care outbreaks and exposure sites which have been managed by the Barwon South West public health unit since the start of this year,” the unit’s director Eugene Athan said.

It comes as several local facilities were named in a federal government report, released Friday, listing aged care homes with active outbreaks.

There is a Covid outbreak at Belmont Grange aged care home in Grovedale. Picture: Mark Wilson

The local facility with the most cases listed was Belmont Grange in Grovedale.

Tim Humphries, chief executive of Belmont Grange’s operator Homestyle Aged Care, said during this outbreak 35 residents and 10 staff members had tested positive, some with no symptoms and others displaying mild symptoms.

“We continue to test regularly,” he said.

Mr Humphries said the company was working closely with health authorities to bring the outbreak under control.

“In consultation with the public health unit, we have implemented our outbreak management plan to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all residents and staff,” he said.

“To limit the spread of the virus in the home, residents are receiving care and meals in their rooms, with separate outdoor time available for residents who have tested positive.

“We are providing staff with pre-shift rapid tests and high-protection N95 masks as part of their personal protective equipment.”

He said as of the weekend there were 10 active resident cases.

“All staff and the overwhelming majority of residents are vaccinated and boosted,” he said.

The McKellar Centre and Alan David Lodge, both run by Barwon Health, had outbreaks, according to the report.

Five staff and five residents tested positive at the McKellar Centre in North Geelong, and there had been three residents cases at Alan David Lodge in Grovedale, the document said.

A Bupa spokeswoman on the weekend said there were four active cases among Bupa Bellarine Lakes team members who were isolating, and one active case among residents of the Moolap home.

An Arcare spokeswoman said an outbreak at the provider’s Portarlington home was declared over on Friday.

She said the two positive cases were residents who were doing well and should make full recoveries.

She said with transmission so high, unfortunately despite everyone’s best efforts, Covid transmission seemed to be unavoidable.

Arcare’s strong infection control procedures and learnings from the past two years had seen it effectively manage this outbreak, she said.

Prof Athan said there had been a slight increase in aged care cases in line with a rise in overall cases across the region.

Originally published as Dozens of residents test positive at Grovedale aged care home