A worker in a Melbourne aged care home has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee worked at the Assisi Aged Care centre at Rosanna, in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs. In an email to families, the centre said a staffer had tested positive five days after working with elderly residents. The staffer had not shown symptoms for two days after her last shift, they added. The centre said they had discussed the matter with the department of health and had been told “they do not consider this case to be a risk for our residents”. “This is because she became unwell two days after her last shift,” the centre said in the email. No residents have tested positive, but Paula Wales is worried about her 95-year-old father Domenic. She said she was “incredulous” the letter to families said the case was low risk. “I’m just confused as to how they can be so sure this doesn’t pose a risk to the residents — and they’re all really elderly and very vulnerable,” she said. Ms Wales said she called the home later and felt she still had not been given a clear answer. “They said they were testing all residents and staff twice a day and nobody so far had a fever,” she said. “They didn’t answer my questions about how this is not a risk.” Ms Wales said Assisi had been in lockdown for about two weeks due to the virus, meaning she was not able to see her father face to face. “It’s a bit hard. Obviously we can’t go there. I’ll feel better FaceTiming him and hopefully he’ll be fine,” she said.
