Aged Care Insite Australia's number one aged care news source
A nurse who attended work at a south-east Melbourne nursing home while infected with Covid-19 has been fined $25,000.
On July 26 and 27 2020, Kamaljeet Kaur Brar worked two casual shifts at Menarock Life in Highett, despite instructions to stay home from her doctor.
The 36-year-old told staff during mandatory reporting that she had received her flu vaccine and did not have any symptoms.
After attending a pathology clinic on July 30, Brar tested positive for COVID-19.
A resident was sent to hospital two days later after contracting the virus, prompting the facility to go into lockdown.
Brar clocked in for an evening shift the following day.
In July 2022, the nurse became the first person to be charged over pandemic-related workplace safety violations by WorkSafe in Victoria.
She pleaded guilty on Wednesday to one charge of failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of her patients and colleagues.
Magistrate David Starvaggi said Brar’s actions showed a “flagrant and persistent disregard” for other people’s safety.
“As we all know, tragically many people passed away as a fault of outbreaks of Covid in aged care facilities, amongst other care places,” he told the Magistrate’s court.
“Fortunately, that did not occur in this particular instance.”
The court heard Brar had only been working as a nurse for a few months when the pandemic hit, and was struggling financially to make ends meet.
Her lawyer said said she “wasn’t thinking right” at the time of the offending and had expressed remorse for her actions.
Brar was fined $25,000 and has been disqualified from working as a registered nurse in Australia, and is currently working as a rideshare driver.
WorkSafe executive health and safety director Narelle Beer said the former nurse had clearly failed to take reasonable care for her colleagues and residents at the facility.
“Every worker in Victoria has a duty to ensure their actions do not put the health and safety of others in their workplace at risk,” Beer said.
“This includes cooperating with their employer’s efforts to control health and safety risks by following any instructions, policies and procedures and using supplied protective equipment.”
Do you have an idea for a story?Email [email protected]
Get the news delivered straight to your inbox
Receive the top stories in our weekly newsletter Sign up now