Senator Richard Colbeck says the Government does not plan to extend the daily COVID-19 testing being conducted at Anglicare’s Newmarch House to the rest of the sector.
Under the current Department of Health guidelines for aged care, staff and residents are only required to be tested for COVID-19 once there are two or more people with fever and respiratory symptoms.
Several states – including NSW and Victoria – have issued call outs for aged care staff to come forward and be tested regardless, but these call outs have not been well-publicised.
Minister Colbeck told The Guardian the Government had “made provisions allowing any staff member in an aged care facility to get tested for COVID-19 should they suspect they have symptoms or just for peace of mind”.
Then there is testing of new residents, including from hospitals.
Those who watched Ansell Strategic’s video conference with Tom Lyons and Brett Burton from the UK’s Black Swan Care Group will recall one of their two outbreaks came from a discharged hospital patient who had not been tested prior to their arrival at the home.
It would require a massive expenditure of resources.
Australia has currently conducted over 650,000 COVID-19 tests, but there are over 200,000 staff and 180,000 residents in aged care homes.
But with 25% of COVID-19 deaths in Australia taking place in residential care, it could be a proactive measure.
