By Jed Lanyon and Romy Stephens
Two aged care homes in Healesville are undergoing contact tracing following positive Coronavirus tests by staff members.
Both Aurrum Aged Care and Holmwood Aged Care were listed as having confirmed Covid-19 cases on 8 July.
The Department of Health and Human Services clarified the two incidents were not linked to the same person.
“If the same person worked at the two (aged care facilities), they would have been listed together … These are two distinct cases,” a spokesperson from the DHHS said.
Holmwood Aged Care told the Star Mail that they were advised a nurse had tested positive to Covid-19 on 7 July and that the nurse had last worked at the location on 26 June.
Holmwood confirmed that the nurse also worked for a neighbouring aged care home.
Holmwood Aged Care CEO Andrew Meek told Star Mail that all residents and staff were tested for the virus following the initial positive case and was pleased that no further trace of the virus was found.
“We have been preparing for what occurred last week since early March. Despite all the preparation it was a highly confronting situation,” Mr Meek said.
“There needs to be recognition for our team, who despite the potential dangers, volunteered to work extra hours and shifts to care for the residents. Our residents were incredibly understanding. We received many messages of support from relatives and the local community. This helped to maintain our spirits.
“A special thank you is warranted to the nurse who advised us as soon as she could of her positive test result. This enabled us to respond quickly and reduce the potential for possible further infections.”
It is understood the Aurrum staff member was asymptomatic but got tested for Covid-19, as a precaution, before advising Aurrum of the positive test, also on 7 July.
Aurrum Aged Care CEO Craig Rutherford confirmed testing of residents and team members had now been completed.
“We have now reached 98 per cent of residents’ results having been received – all are negative for Covid – and 86 per cent of all staff tests have now been received which are also negative,” he said.
“We do not have any Covid outbreak nor any respiratory illness at the care home and it remains in precautionary lockdown only.”
A relative of an Aurrum Healesville resident, who did not want to be named, said their dad visited their grandmother on 8 July but wasn’t told of the confirmed Covid-19 case.
“He went up this morning and he was just presented with the normal access that they’ve previously had going in,” the relative said.
“I rang dad and said ‘have you been notified or do you know if nanna has been tested’ and he had no idea …He was shocked and didn’t know what to do.”
The next round of testing at Aurrum aged care home is forecast for 20 July, 11 days after the original testing wave.
