COVID-19 at Kirrak House

One week after Bass Coast Health CEO Jan Child declared there were no cases of COVID-19 in any Bass Coast aged care facility, a staff member at Kirrak House in Wonthaggi has tested positive.

Bass Coast Health’s Kirrak House received notification last Wednesday that an agency staff member recruited on a long-term contract returned a positive COVID-19 test result, three days after their most recent shift.

This is the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Bass Coast Health (BCH), who said they responded swiftly to reduce the risk of transmission to residents and staff.

In line with the requirements of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and BCH Outbreak plan, Bass Coast Health immediately notified DHHS, and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing.

Bass Coast Health notified all residents, relatives and staff and put into place the measures outlined in its Outbreak plan.

This includes testing of all residents and staff, complete lockdown of the facility, and furloughing of the two staff who had direct contact with the agency nurse.

BCH has since reported that all staff and residents at Kirrak House received negative results.

“We are extremely relieved to receive this first round of results”, said Bass Coast Health CEO Jan Child.

“We know this is not over, and we know we have to continue to respond diligently to keep COVID-19 at bay from the staff and residents of Kirrak House. We are however extremely relieved that all our residents and staff have tested negative so far, and we are pleased that aside from the usual issues, all our residents and staff are doing very well.”

Ms Child said BCH would continue to test residents and staff over the next week to take into account the incubation period of the virus,  which can mean that the virus may not present in a person until approximately 4-10 days from exposure.

“We are being guided by the Commonwealth and State Health Departments and we have been very appreciative for their guidance and support over the past days,” Ms Child said.

Difficult days

“We understand that news of this outbreak will be extremely distressing for everybody involved including residents, relatives and families,” said Ms Child.

“I also know the staff at Kirrak who have worked tirelessly for the past months protecting their residents, are devastated this exposure has occurred.

“Bass Coast Health wants to reassure everyone that every resource available will be deployed to safeguard the residents and staff; We will openly communicate with our residents, relatives and staff at every point to ensure everyone understands the actions we are taking to combat this outbreak, and we will do all that is possible to keep our residents safe.”

The facility is likely to be locked down until at least the end of August.

“More than ever, we need to be extremely vigilant to protect our residents from the spread of this virus,” Ms Child said.

“We are limiting all contact where possible; we have deployed some of our most experienced staff to the facility to provide support to our excellent Kirrak team; we are making make sure everyone is wearing their masks, gowns, gloves, visors or goggles all the time; and we are being very vigilant with cleaning the facility frequently.

“I am extremely grateful to the residents and families for their support and understanding over the past few days. I am also extremely proud of the Kirrak staff who have been working above and beyond to do whatever they can to keep their residents safe. It is a very scary time for everyone.”

Infection control

Ms Child stated that the agency staff member who tested positive worked night duty on July 27 and 28 and August 1 and 2. The night duty rostering meant the staff member was only in brief contact with residents, and only had significant exposure to two other Kirrak staff.

“We know that the staff member wore PPE during all interactions with the residents; we know that at the time of entering our facility, the agency staff member was asymptomatic, with appropriate temperature tests; and we know that the daily screening of our residents that has occurred since that time, has shown that all residents have been asymptomatic,” Ms Child said.

“The Kirrak staff have been highly vigilant in getting tested as soon as they have any symptoms and three staff have been tested in the last week, prior to BCH being aware of this positive agency nurse, and all three staff have tested negative.”

Bass Coast Health will be supported and monitored by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Health, and the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, and said it will make sure that any residents, relatives and staff who are diagnosed with COVID-19 or who become unwell for any reason, will be well supported on an individual basis to ensure all their needs are met.

Ms Child said this is a stark reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic is here, and it is real.

“We ask everyone across Bass Coast to continue to do all they can to safeguard vulnerable communities such as Kirrak; this includes physical distancing, masks, hand hygiene, staying at home if unwell, and proactive testing when unwell.

“We are very hopeful that our cautious approach and proactive response will guide us well and we ask everyone to please be respectful of the privacy of our Kirrak community whilst we work together to get through this outbreak”.

BCH also runs the Griffith Point Lodge aged care facility in San Remo.