“Ideally, the Queensland government will step in to assist retirement village operators to implement and enforce similar types of restrictions in their communities that now apply to aged care facilities, including the introduction of mandatory temperature testing, restrictions on large gatherings in community facilities, the closing of restaurants, controls on visitor access to villages and enforced self-isolation for infected residents,” Mr Lyons wrote to State Parliament last week.
These are serious points. Village operators can’t force their residents to socially isolate unlike in aged care and must rely on residents and residents’ associations to in effect ‘self-manage’ themselves.
There may not be an answer soon either.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would address the issue in parliament – but on Wednesday night, the Government rushed through an emergency motion that means it will not sit again until 28 April.
