COVID-19 Update for Residents and Families No images? Click here 8 April 2022 Dear Resident and Family Members, First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for your patience and support of our residents and staff. COVID-19 has been and continues to be incredibly challenging for the whole community. We are reviewing COVID-19 case numbers regularly as the Omicron BA.2 sub-variant becomes the dominant strain. At this stage, evidence suggests that case numbers may rise for a short period but that the disease severity is similar to the BA.1 strain. It is timely to remind you of all the strategies we have in place to protect staff, visitors and the vulnerable people in our care. Rapid Antigen Tests sit within the broader COVID-19 screening and preventative response, being:
Community transmission remains relatively low, which means that rapid antigen tests are more likely to show false-negative results; this means that we may be unwittingly allowing infected people into our homes and why adherence to all precautions is so important. These actions and tools, when used properly, are proven to protect us and those we care for and it is something that each of us has personal control over and responsibility for. We will be closely watching the level of community transmission in each region, and when it starts to fall over the next couple of weeks it is likely that we will reduce the use of rapid antigen tests. As winter approaches and influenza rates rise, it becomes increasingly important to continue all the strategies we have in place to protect our residents and be vigilant in monitoring for any respiratory symptoms. Please do not visit the home if you have any symptoms – even if the rapid antigen test is negative. Our staff will facilitate alternate ways to visit your loved ones, including video calls. It is also timely to raise the importance of the influenza vaccine and I strongly encourage everybody to become vaccinated. Additional booster doses for COVID-19 are now also available for eligible people and this will assist with protection of you and your loved ones. Calvary strongly encourages up to date vaccination for all residents and those visiting our homes. This is supported by Commonwealth Department of Health Chief Medical Officer. Calvary is working hard to reduce the impact on residents’ lives as much as possible by minimising isolation and restriction of movement and maintaining visitors throughout exposures and outbreaks. An additional resource to show loved ones what to expect when visiting during an outbreak has been created and can be found here: In the event of an outbreak, the Calvary homes will continue to provide you timely communication using either SMS or email. Thank you again for your continued support throughout this challenging time. Sincerely, Martin Bowles National CEO Founded in 1885 by the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary, Calvary is a charitable, not-for-profit, Catholic health care organisation. Our mission is to provide quality, compassionate health care to the most vulnerable, including those reaching the end of their life. With over 18,000 staff and volunteers, we have a national network of 14 Public and Private Hospitals, 72 Residential Care and Retirement Communities and 19 Community Care service centres. |