VICTORIA’S second wave of COVID-19 cases has forced Irymple’s Oasis Aged Care into another lockdown.
The state recorded 428 further cases of the virus in Friday’s update, and three deaths, with new cases spreading to regional Victoria, including Swan Hill, in the past week.
Southern Cross Care, which operates the Irymple facility, said the “extremely difficult” decision to restrict visitor access followed a surge in visitor numbers during school holidays and before state borders were closed.
Chief executive Zoe Tonkin said she hoped the lockdown measures would last for only two weeks while new cases in Victoria remained high.
“It’s more of a precautionary thing,” Ms Tonkin said.
“It may be seen as a bit of overkill, but I think our residents are quite happy with the decision that we’ve made, especially at Oasis Aged Care, to ensure they feel safe,” she said.
“That’s the main thing and that’s what we’re here for.”
Oasis Aged Care has 43 residents and 65 full-time, part-time and casual staff and first went into lockdown for six weeks in March during the first wave of the pandemic.
“We’re just trying to limit traffic through the facilities at the moment while there are such high numbers,” Ms Tonkin said.
“It’s extremely difficult and I know it’s hard for families because you do worry about (residents).
“It does keep me awake at night, as I’m sure it does anyone in our position, but I’d rather have a sleepless night that I’ve upset people because they can’t visit for a little while rather than a sleepless night because I’ve got people who have got COVID-19.
“We know this virus has mutated itself to do some pretty amazing things and it would be too late once the horse has bolted to implement this sort of stuff.”
Ms Tonkin said staff had learned measures from the first wave of COVID-19 about ensuring residents were well cared for during the lockdown.
“We’ve had long discussions over it, we’re taking all the health advice and I think we just have to learn from what we already know about this virus,” she said.
“No one brings this virus into these facilities knowingly — it’s brought in before people even realise they are sick … but once it’s in, for us it’s fatal and people die.
“The most concerning part for me is the contact tracing hasn’t really worked like we had hoped so there’s no way of really knowing who has had it, where they have been and who they have come in contact with.
“It’s that waiting game that there’s no way of us being able to control that unless we go into lockdown.”
Ms Tonkin said Oasis Aged Care would continue to allow essential visits for residents who had just arrived and anyone transitioning through end-of-life care.
“What happened in Newmarch (House aged care home in western Sydney), no one in aged care wants to live through,” she said.
“But inside the facility it will be business as usual with all the activities and our essential care providers coming in while following all of our precautions.
“If we can continue to have no cases in Mildura, Broken Hill and any of our facilities we would be off to a really good start depending on what’s happening everywhere else.
“If I know that every resident is clear and safe and staff are clear and safe within 14 days, then we’ll start to relax restrictions.
“But it’s about living with the decisions that you make and for me that could be quite fatal.”
