'Disgrace': Fury as two new Covid cases emerge at Sydney aged care home
A further two residents of an aged care facility in Sydney's west have tested positive for Covid-19.
There are now five residents of the SummitCare Baulkham Hills home who have tested positive to the highly-infectious Delta strain.
In a letter sent to families of residents overnight and shared with 2GB, Chief Operating Officer Michelle Sloane said the two latest cases were "resting comfortably" and weren't showing any symptoms.
The two cases have been taken to Westmead Hospital.
Ninety-six per cent of the facility's residents have been vaccinated however the vaccine status of the latest two cases in unknown at this stage.
Yet considerably fewer staff members have been vaccinated, raising serious questions as to why the majority of staff aren't.
Two of the nursing home's workers tested positive for Covid-19 during the week. One of them was not vaccinated and SummitCare was unclear about the vaccination status of the other.
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Deputy premier 'very concerned' over situation
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said he was "very concerned" only two thirds of staff at the facility were vaccinated.
"[Aged care residents] are our most vulnerable in our community... if [the virus] enters an aged care facility it can become a life and death issue," he told Channel 7's Sunrise on Monday.
BREAKING; Residents and family at SummitCare Baulkham Hills have been told "two further residents have tested positive." pic.twitter.com/ItpdmQPX5q
— Ben Fordham Live (@BenFordhamLive) July 4, 2021
In a Covid update on SummitCare's website last year, Ms Sloane stressed all workers were "doing everything they can to keep themselves and their residents safe".
Yet families of residents in the facility are fuming over the lack of urgency in vaccinating staff.
"We assumed they were. I think it's a disgrace," Kathie Melocco, a daughter of one resident, told the ABC.
"If I had known, that would've meant I would've made other decisions around my parents. I'm just so angry."
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