Aged care resident diagnosed with COVID-19 in north-west Tasmania after testing blitz dies in hospital

The 79-year-old woman – a resident at the Melaleuca Home for the Aged in East Devonport – had been the only resident at one of three aged care homes to be subject to extensive testing after an aged care staffer tested positive earlier in the month.  As we reported here, the woman had been transferred to hospital while around 500 residents and staff at Melaleuca and Respect Aged Care’s Eliza Purton Home for the Aged in Ulverstone and Coroneagh Park in Penguin.  Tasmania’s Director of Public Health, Mark Veitch said all staff at the Melaleuca home would now be retested.  No other infections have been found at the other homes.  Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has also re-confirmed that the state will not be relaxing its strict measures – including visitor bans on aged care homes – early because of its high number of older people. 

“While some states may lift restrictions early, I don’t believe we’ll be doing that,” he said.  “I don’t want to have a knee-jerk reaction and take away restrictions too early only to have to bring them back again.” 

Does this decision put them on a collision course with the Government, the National Cabinet, and in particular the Prime Minister?