COVID-19 struck another Melburnian aged care facility where eight coronavirus cases were confirmed.
Panicos Mina, President of the Greek Cypriot Community of the Northern Suburbs of Melbourne confirmed the new cases at the Grace of Mary Greek Cypriot Nursing home at Epping, a 42-bed facility.
“Unfortunately, the invisible enemy found a way to invade our home despite the many measures we took, all implemented with speed and particularly strict in their nature,” Mr Mina told Neos Kosmos.
Mr Mina said that there were no COVID-19 symptoms recorded until a resident who suffered from dementia fell and hurt herself.
“We took her to the hospital and they tested her and found her to be positive,” he said.
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“We immediately swung into action and tested residents and personnel. Nine elderly residents in the dementia ward were found positive along with 20 members of staff. None of them had the slightest symptom,” Mr Mina said.
“All of them, with the exception of one, died at the nursing home. We asked for them to be transferred to hospital but we were told that this would be in vain bearing in mind that they were suffering from other illnesses.”
Mr Mina expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased via Neos Kosmos.
“We are shaken,” he said of the deaths.
“It is small consolation that in a meeting with the ministry, relatives of residents expressed the nicest words for our facility.”
Mr Mina said that, following the incident, residents and staff at St Andrews Care in Sunshine were also tested at the initiative of the community and were all found to be negative to COVID-19.
READ MORE: Melbourne’s Greek community devastated by nine deaths at St Basil’s Home for Aged Care
Neos Kosmos has referred to the many deaths as a result of COVID-19 in the Greek community of Melbourne with the tally on Friday at 96.
428 people have died in aged care facilities around Australia, with 360 in Victoria and 38 of these at St Basil’s.