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A Tasmanian healthcare worker who has tested positive for coronavirus has also worked shifts in three nursing homes, authorities say.
Key points:
- There are no coronavirus cases in Tasmanian nursing homes
- A healthcare worker who tested positive on Wednesday has worked shifts at three north-west homes
- Authorities say infection protocols at the affected homes are being checked
Contract tracing found that the person who was diagnosed on Wednesday had worked at two north-west hospitals at the centre of an outbreak and had also completed shifts at the aged care facilities.
Public Health Services (PHS) is working with Melaleuca Nursing Home in East Devonport, Eliza Purton Home for the Aged in Ulverstone, and Coroneagh Park in Penguin to ensure they have infection controls in place.
Tasmania COVID-19 snapshot
- Confirmed cases: 180
- Deaths: 6
If you think you might have COVID-19 because you feel unwell with a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath and have travelled recently or had contact with a confirmed case, phone your GP or the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738.
Testing criteria are different for north-west residents.
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Phone the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and tell them your language.
For more information and factsheets:
Visit the Tasmanian Government's coronavirus page here.
Director of Public Health Mark Veitch said in a statement there were no confirmed cases in any of the affected homes.
Test results on one resident with respiratory symptoms are expected on Friday.
Any residents or staff displaying symptoms would also be tested, he said.
"We understand that residents of these facilities, including their family members and loved ones, may be concerned at this news," Dr Veitch said.
"We can assure the community that PHS is doing everything it can to work with the facilities to identify any other potential cases and reiterate that there is no outbreak in any Tasmanian nursing home."
Tasmania has confirmed another 11 cases of coronavirus, bringing the state's total to 180.
Ten of these are from the north-west, where authorities are dealing with the outbreak, and one is from the south.
Three of the cases are staff members of the North West Regional Hospital [NWRH] and the North West Private Hospital in Burnie.
Your questions on coronavirus answered:
Four are close contacts of a previously confirmed case, linked to the north-west outbreak.
Two former patients of the NWRH, who are now at the Mersey Community Hospital at Latrobe, have also tested positive.
Investigations are continuing into the other two cases.
"Deep cleaning" is underway at the two Burnie hospitals which have been closed because of the outbreak.
The Government said on Thursday that the emergency department at the NWRH was on track to reopen on Friday.
What you need to know about coronavirus:
Topics: covid-19, diseases-and-disorders, health, healthcare-facilities, health-policy, travel-health-and-safety, states-and-territories, tas, hobart-7000, burnie-7320, devonport-7310, launceston-7250
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