All people tested after possible contact with a central Queensland aged care centre nurse with COVID-19 have so far tested negative to the virus, Health Minister Steven Miles has confirmed.
Key points:
- The facility in North Rockhampton is in lockdown with all residents in isolation
- Residents in a wing of the centre at lower risk will be transferred to a different facility
- Authorities are still trying to work out where the nurse had been since May 3
“We have now tested 193 people, including 114 residents, the rest being staff and other contacts — all 193 tests have returned negative,” Mr Miles said.
“Which, of course, is the best we could have hoped for out of that batch of testing.”
Queensland Health said the Rockhampton nurse, who yesterday sparked the lockdown at the state-run North Rockhampton Nursing Centre, had been sent for coronavirus testing after showing symptoms, but went back to her workplace before the positive test result was returned.
In a statement, Queensland Health said 35 patients from the Westwood Wing of the facility, believed to be at lower risk, would be transferred out of the centre to Mater and Hillcrest private hospitals today.
Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service chief executive Steve Williamson said yesterday the circumstances prior to the nurse’s positive diagnosis were under investigation.
“That’s outside the direction we’ve set for our staff and we will look into that further — in detail — but our focus currently is 100 per cent on ensuring safety in the facility.”
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Jeannette Young, s