Fronditha Care announced on Tuesday that it will extend voluntary lockdown procedures and strengthen regulations concerning the wearing of masks in all of its Victorian facilities as the state grapples with containing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

The Chief Executive Officer Michael Malakonas said there was “a heightened state of alert” within the organisation which specialises in helping Greek-speaking seniors.

He announced that the voluntary lockdown of its four Melbourne facilities (Thornbury, Templestowe, St Albans, Clayton) would be extended for at least another two weeks, until Sunday, 9 August.

As a result of the new measure no visitors will be allowed into the facilities unless they were under exceptional circumstances such as to provide palliative care.

Members of staff have been wearing protective masks at all times and onsite COVID-19 testing has been available for staff and residents since 16 July.

Our seniors are some of the most vulnerable to this virus and we have to be ahead of this invisible enemy,” he said.

“The mandatory wearing of masks is just one way we can physically protect our residents and staff.”

Mr Malakonas said employees were expected to work at a single Fronditha care facility and that a strict self-reporting policy had been in place since the beginning of the outbreak. This had included standing down members of staff on full pay who had developed symptoms or who had been in close contact with people who had recently been exposed to the COVID-19 virus.

READ MORE: Evangelos and Elli Ioannou, a generous migrant couple whose legacy lives on at Fronditha Care

Procedures for staff working within the community have also been boosted, he said, with all staff required to wear surgical masks when visiting Home Care Package clients. He added that staff members were also required to check their temperature at the start of each shift.

“A new mask is worn for each client and all escorted outings/shopping trips are reviewed case-by-case. All clients and other occupants of the home are also temperature checked before the service can begin.” he said.