Testing rounds are continuing at Fronditha Care’s St Albans THALPORI residential facility after a staff member tested positive on 22 July, following by a positive result by a resident on 27 July. The resident was admitted to hospital and has since passed.

“Our heartfelt condolences and thoughts go out to the family of our resident, who will be missed by our staff and volunteers,” Fronditha Care wrote in a release to inform the community of the situation in the facility.

Since the first outbreak more rounds of testing have followed.

A mobile unit visited the facility on Thursday and Friday last week for a second round of testing, and test results came back negative for all residents and staff.

More testing will take place this week to ensure that all residents and staff are in the clear, and the results of those tests will determine the net steps for Fronditha Care’s THALPORI residential aged care home.

READ MORE: Fronditha Care’s vigilance following positive COVID-19 case on 22 July – no new cases since then

The home has been in full lockdown as part of the facility’s stringent outbreak management plan and process, and management is working with federal and state government agencies to suppress the virus, and provide the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and advice and recommendations which are being adhered to.

The majority of THALPORI staff initially stood down as part of the outbreak management response have been tested and cleared to return to work this week.

“Close contact with the families and representatives of residents remains a key priority, who are receiving daily communications,” Fronditha Care said in a statement.

“Our staff and management across the organisation are working hard to limit the risk of COVID-19, continuously monitoring the internal and external environment to ensure we are complying by all directives of the federal and state government. The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) are continuously assessing our plans, policies and procedures.”