Lockdowns in Victoria and New South Wales
A case of COVID-19 has been diagnosed in an AFACorp kitchen staff member who provides catering services to Jewish Care Victoria with the Gary Smorgon House in Melbourne being placed in lockdown.
The Gary Smorgon Home
The Montefiore Aged Care Homes in Sydney have also been placed in lockdown as a precautionary measure.
The AFACorp staff member last worked at Jewish Care in Melbourne on 19 July 2020. No close contacts have been identified amongst Jewish Care Elders or staff. Kitchen staff identified as close contacts have been contacted and quarantined.
Jewish Care CEO Bill Appleby said: “Our thoughts are with the AFACorp staff member who is in quarantine at home. We are ensuring they are linked to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and government supports available. We have notified relevant Public Health officials as required and are following strict procedures as directed by the DHHS” said
DHHS requested a lockdown of Gary Smorgon House as a precaution until testing of all Elders and staff can occur. DHHS are coordinating the testing which they have advised will occur between 31 July and 2 August 2020.
Bill Appleby added: “We will continue to offer supports to all Elders, taking every precaution to ensure staff and Elder wellbeing.
We want to reassure everyone we are working together, in a proactive manner to protect our community. I would like to thank our amazing Elders, our committed staff, and the Department of Health and Human Services for acting swiftly and with an abundance of caution.”
Montefiore Randwick
As with our previous closure to visitors, we will continue to accommodate immediate families of residents who are palliating, as arranged with the care manager. We will also reinstate assisted video calls as swiftly as possible to keep residents and families connected, and provide additional social support for residents.
We understand that this will be another difficult period for the Montefiore Family, and as ever we value your support as we work together to manage this ever-evolving pandemic.
The MCMT will continue to meet daily review the situation in conjunction with NSW Health directives, and lift restrictions as soon as it is deemed safe to do so.
