ADF moves in after Heritage Care CEO begs for hospital transfers for COVID positive residents

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has moved in to evacuate some residents at the provider’s Epping Gardens home after its Chief Executive, Greg Reeve (pictured), pleaded with authorities to evacuate their infected residents to hospital.

The Epping Gardens home has been one of the state’s largest aged care clusters, with 82 people testing positive to COVID-19. The cluster has grown rapidly from two cases less than a week ago and 24 cases on Sunday. Mr Reeve told The Age on Monday the residents must be moved so they can receive proper care and control community transmission. “We don’t want people dying,” Mr Reeve said. “We are trying to save lives”. “Safety must be the number one priority and we can’t provide that.” Troops were called in at 11pm on Monday to work throughout the night. As we covered here, the Federal Government’s Department of Health has already stepped in to take over the nearby St Basil’s Home for the Aged.