One of the largest aged care providers in regional South Australia has been hit with a major COVID-19 outbreak.
Seventeen residents have tested positive to coronavirus at Boandik's Lake Terrace site in Mount Gambier.
Nearly 30 staff members have also tested positive at the site, prompting SA Health to send a rapid response team to the facility.
Boandik chief executive Gillian McGinty said the Lake Terrace site housed 88 residents.
She said no cases had been recorded at Boandik's St Marys and Crouch Street facilities in Mount Gambier.
Ms McGinty said the organisation was receiving support from the state and federal governments.
"We had a team arrive from the Commonwealth and the team arrive from the state to just provide us with some additional training on infection control, to walk through and help us set up all our zones correctly," she said.
Ms McGinty said this would help to minimise the risk of the infection spreading and to help with clinical management.
Boandik is struggling with staffing issues as a result of COVID infections.
"We currently have 28 staff from the Lake Terrace home who have COVID," Ms McGinty said.
"Those people are going to start coming back to work this week, so that has put significant pressure on our roster.
"Staff have been fantastic … working 12-hour shifts at the moment, in the majority of situations, to make sure that we've got care and services for our residents."
Visits restricted
Boandik recently made changes to its visitation arrangements after two residents at Lake Terrace tested positive to COVID-19 via rapid antigen tests.
Residents at both the Crouch Street and St Marys sites remain limited to two visitors per day and unvaccinated children are unable to enter any Boandik facility.
But Ms McGinty hoped the restrictions could be lifted once the aged care provider was able to secure a supply of RATs.
"We are restricting visitors because we can't offer rapid antigen tests for them on their way in," she said.
The service provider is developing a plan for visitors at Lake Terrace.
Ms McGinty said Boandik was using technology to help maintain daily communication between residents and their families.
SA Health has been contacted for comment.
