COVID-infected doctor visited three Sydney aged care homes

A doctor infected with COVID-19 visited three aged care homes in Sydney, sending them into lockdown.

The doctor visited SummitCare Penrith, Mountainview Aged Care Penrith and Anglicare Newmarch House – the latter was at the centre of a large COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 where 71 residents tested positive and 19 died.

A Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District spokesperson said the doctor was fully vaccinated and tested positive on Tuesday 14 September, as reported by the Nine papers.

Newmarch is now in lockdown after the doctor visited three patients at the facility; the residents have all returned negative COVID-19 tests at the time of writing.

A spokesperson for Mountainview Penrith and SummitCare Penrith said the doctor visited one resident at each facility on Saturday. All residents and staff have returned negative test results since the visit.

“All residents are being cared for by staff in full PPE and the home will remain in lockdown until further advice from the public health unit," they said.

Nine News reported that at SummitCare Penrith, 85 per cent of the 85 residents and 87 per cent of healthcare staff are double-dose vaccinated.

Newmarch House has 90 per cent of the 94 residents and 97 per cent of healthcare staff fully vaccinated.

At Mountainview Penrith, 93 per cent of the 88 residents and 96 per cent of staff are fully vaccinated.

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