Two more residents at Sydney aged care home test positive to Covid – after unvaccinated nurse worked while unknowingly infectious
- The two new cases were recorded at SummitCare home in Baulkham Hills
- Ninety-six per cent of residents vaccinated, but only a third of staff had the jab
- Two men in their 80s and 90s, and a woman in her 80s, also tested positive
Two residents at an aged care facility in Sydney have tested positive to Covid-19 after an unvaccinated nurse worked while infectious.
The cases were recorded at SummitCare home in Baulkham Hills, in the city’s north-west, on Monday morning – bringing the total number of infections at the facility to five.
Health authorities are waiting to see if others test positive, even though 96 per cent of its vulnerable residents are fully vaccinated.
Two men in their 80s and 90s have already been infected after staff brought it in to the facility, along with a woman in her 80s.
All have had two doses of the vaccine and are said to be in good spirits, with no symptoms.
They will be transferred to Westmead Hospital as a precaution.
But SummitCare’s chief operating officer Michelle Sloane admitted only a third of the facility’s workforce have had a shot.
The daughter of one infected resident is furious about how few staff have been vaccinated.
‘We assumed they were. I think it’s a disgrace,’ Kathie Melocco told the ABC.
‘If I had known, that would’ve meant I would’ve made other decisions around my parents. I’m just so angry.’
Two of the nursing home’s workers tested positive for Covid-19 during the week.
One of them was not vaccinated and SummitCare was unclear about the vaccination status of the other.
At least 140 of the home’s 200 staff members are now in 14 days of self-isolation as the number of infections in New South Wales slowly declines.
Meanwhile, NSW Health has issued another ten Covid alerts for venues across Sydney including a Coles in Maroubra and a Woolworths in Hillsdale – both in Sydney’s east.
Alerts have also been issued for numerous bus routes around Strathfield in Sydney’s west and train routes from Penrith, the north shore line, the Bankstown line and the inner west line.
There were 16 local Covid-19 cases recorded in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday.
Three of those cases were out in the community during some or all of their infectious period. There have now been 277 local Covid-19 cases reported since June 16.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the dip in case numbers was a good sign, and urged residents to respect stay-at-home orders if they want any hope of emerging from lockdown on Friday.
More to come