Aug 27, 2021

Echuca aged care home in lockdown after staff member tests positive

An aged care home in northern Victoria has been locked down after a vaccinated staff member tested positive for coronavirus.

Authorities believe that a staff member working at the Wharparilla Lodge aged care facility in Echuca attended the private facility for a short period on August 20.

COVID-19 testing commander Jeroen Weimar told reporters that the staff member had been previously vaccinated for COVID-19, despite testing positive. Mr Weimar also said that the staff member caught the virus from her partner, who had been previously connected to a cluster in Shepparton.

“There is a full response going on with the aged care response team and we are continuing to support that closely, but my thanks to their team there at that facility and everyone there to support that aged care facility,” Mr Weimar said.

“We have about 40 staff who are currently on furlough and being backed in by other agency staff to ensure we can continue to function safely.”

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