At least four aged care facilities in Ballarat were affected by COVID-19 exposures last week, placing hundreds of residents into lockdown or isolation.
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Mercy Place Ballarat activated its COVID response twice after an external staff member returned a positive result on a PCR test. COVID-19 arrangements in both instances were stood down after the affected staff member later tested negative.
Contrary to early reports which suggested some residents had tested positive to COVID-19, a spokesperson for Mercy Care has since confirmed no residents have tested positive.
"Mercy Place Ballarat is implementing a number of infection control measures to reduce the risk of virus transmission in our home," the spokesperson said.
"While there is a significant amount of COVID-19 in the broader Ballarat community, as a proactive measure, Mercy Place Ballarat staff are wearing N95 masks and eye protection while they are working in our home."
The spokesperson added that while "the vast majority" of residents had received their primary course of vaccination, many were yet to receive their booster shot.
"We have requested for (sic) a second booster clinic to be scheduled at our home as soon as possible."
Ballarat Health Services (BHS) confirmed quarantine control measures had been implemented in three of its 11 aged care facilities last week after a staff member had tested positive.
Ben Kelly, acting interim chief executive of Grampians Health, stressed there were no active cases among residents in BHS-regulated aged care facilities, and that the infection control measures currently in place had been taken "out of an abundance of caution".
"We have implemented escalated infection prevention and control responses on these sites, and are continuing to undertake daily rapid antigen testing of all staff and residents," he said in a statement.
Mr Kelly added that future COVID exposures were likely given the rate at which Omicron was surging within the community.
"Exposure management will likely increase as the Omicron variant continues its community prevalence."
Maurice Duffy, whose 86-year-old mother is a resident at Talbot Place aged care home, said Talbot Place was one of the impacted BHS aged care facilities.
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Mr Duffy learned through his sister that their 86-year-old mother had been placed into isolation this week after she returned a positive result on a rapid antigen test. She was removed from isolation after returning a negative result on a PCR test on Friday.
While the news his mother had initially tested positive surprised Mr Duffy, he said discovering she was yet to receive her booster shot had occasioned greater concern.
"I think it's pretty pathetic, really," he said. "But the bigger shock certainly was that we found out [BHS] hadn't done a follow-up on her booster."
The revelation Mr Duffy's mother's had not received her booster vaccine runs contrary to earlier assurances from BHS that all of its aged care residents had received their booster shot.
After being contacted for comment, BHS said it was in the process of revisiting all BHS aged care facilities to ensure all eligible residents received their third dose as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, only a third of aged care residents in Australia have received their booster shot from a federal government contractor to date, notwithstanding a flagged intention on the part of the federal government to prioritise aged care in the rollout.
Leading epidemiologist Nancy Baxter, head of the Melbourne school of population and global health at the University of Melbourne, called the federal government's failure to ensure aged care residents had received a booster shot "intolerable".
"Aged care folks should be priority number one in the booster program and the fact they're not is absolutely unacceptable," Professor Baxter said.
"They are the direct responsibility of the federal government in terms of the vaccination program.
"If anyone is at risk of dying from Omicron after having their primary vaccination, it is this group."
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