Maryborough hospital hit with COVID cases

JAY FIELDING

MARYBOROUGH Hospital’s dementia and geriatrics ward has been forced into quarantine following an outbreak of coronavirus.

A patient tested positive during rapid antigen testing late on Tuesday, February 15.

Staff responded by carrying out testing throughout the ward, with a further five patients and seven workers testing positive.

As of Monday morning, 13 patients and 17 hospital staff had tested positive.

Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service COVID-19 response lead Michael Lewczuk said 10 of the patients had been transferred to the Hervey Bay Hospital COVID-19 Ward and three to the Bundaberg Hospital COVID-19 Ward.

“Positive staff are isolating at home,” Mr Lewczuk said.

“Other staff who are considered close contacts are quarantining at home,” he said.

Mr Lewczuk said WBHHS was continuing to test patients in the ward.

“Any patient who tests positive will be transported to a WBHHS COVID-19 ward,” he said.

“WBHHS will keep the quarantine in place as long as it is required and will end the quarantine based off the advice of clinicians and public health experts.”

Australian Workers’ Union Central District secretary Tony Beers accused WBHHS of not protecting staff from coronavirus.

“There’s going to be outbreak of omicron in a hospital setting – but it ’s the things they put in place to protect the workers, that’s what’s missing,” he said.

“Safety measures haven’t been put in place for the additional risks that come with working in a hospital environment, they’re not being supplied PPE (personal protective equipment), and management here won’t even get them fit tested for proper mask wearing in

“Our members have been told to buy their own masks. It’s outrageous.”

Mr Beers said members, who gathered outside the hospital to protest working conditions, had put into place resolutions to ban unsafe work and entering areas where PPE had not been provided.

“It’s not good enough our members are treated like second-class citizens.”

Mr Lewczuk said WBHHS had a good supply of PPE, which was available to all staff.

“WBHHS has robust PPE policies to support staff to follow PPE requirements,” he said.

“The situation continues to be closely monitored.”