COVID-19 has now claimed the lives of 15 residents of the Jeta Gardens aged care facility south of Brisbane and 100 residents and 82 staff have tested positive for the virus, the federal Health Department says.
It follows the aged care watchdog identifying residents at the Logan nursing home as being at "immediate and severe risk".
However, a Health Department spokesperson said Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel had not been called in to work at the Bethania facility and an evacuation of residents was not required.
Last week, the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (ACQSC) issued Jeta Gardens with a "notice to agree", ordering the nursing home to fund staff training on infection prevention and control best practice.
The facility was also ordered to appoint an adviser to assist management in complying with its responsibilities under federal government legislation.
"Jeta Gardens' management has appointed an adviser to the facility who has a team to assist, including two clinicians," the health department spokesperson said.
Local federal MP Bert van Manen said Jeta Gardens had a lot to answer for.
"I'm immensely disappointed in the management's lack of cooperation with our agencies to ensure this outbreak is brought under control," he said.
Mr van Manen said he had "no doubt" the ACQSC and Aged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck would be looking at the facility's actions "in great detail".
The nursing home has been the subject of a non-compliance notice since October last year after the ACQSC found its COVID-19 outbreak management plan was deficient.
Last week, after receiving further complaints about the Logan facility, the ACQSC lowered the nursing home's compliance rating to "inadequate", identifying there was an "immediate and severe risk to the safety, health or wellbeing" of residents.
Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews told ABC's Insiders program the situation at the centre is untenable.
"It's an appalling set of circumstances at that facility, so I was horrified when I was reading about what was happening at that aged care facility," Ms Andrews said.
'We're very, very concerned'
Queensland's Chief Health Officer John Gerrard said on Saturday there had been 134 COVID deaths in aged care across the state during the Omicron wave — more than half the state's total death toll.
Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the situation at Jeta Gardens was indicative of larger problems in aged care facilities.
"I haven't heard much beyond what's been reported publicly. I spoke to someone yesterday who was a relative of people in that facility and now we're very, very concerned," he said.
"Tragically we know that nationwide more than 1,000 facilities are dealing with outbreaks and the impact of them is not just on the people who may die — although of course that's tragic — but the effect of workforce shortages and how that is playing out on the lives of individuals in those facilities is almost cruel.
"You've got people who are being locked away isolated, not able to get the level of support and care and assistance that they are used to and, frankly, they deserve."
One hundred-year-old Esdale Davis, who lives in an independent unit at Jeta Gardens, said he did not interact with staff or other residents.
He told the ABC he had lived at the facility for 12 years.
Mr Davis received a COVID-19 booster shot on Monday.
"Suddenly last Monday, big panic," he said.
Ms Andrews said the Commonwealth was taking steps to fix the crisis.
"The health department is certainly involved. The Quality and Safety Commission is involved. They've issued those directions, management has to step up, it has to deal with the training issues that are there," she said.
"We will look at what we need to do with bringing in part of the surge workforce directly into there because the situation that is happening at that facility cannot be allowed to continue."
'Mum has been ringing every night'
Anniko Kevin's mother lives in Jeta Gardens in an independent villa and recently had an operation.
Ms Kevin said Jeta Gardens was not clear in its communication about the extent of the outbreak when her mother was requesting to enter respite care in the facility.
She said facility staff told her there "was a couple of people in there who have COVID" but they did not want her mother to come into respite care.
"Mum has been ringing me every night saying she's scared, she's falling over, she's unstable on her feet," Ms Kevin said.
Ms Kevin said she had decided to take her mother to another facility as soon as possible.
"She wants to go on to respite, so we found another place and we're going to take her out for good because no-one tells you anything here."
Set staffing ratios, union urges
The Queensland Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) said the situation at Jeta Gardens is further proof of a need for minimum staffing requirements in aged care facilities.
QNMU secretary Beth Mohle said nurse-to-resident ratios "are at the heart of keeping residents safe".
"The Royal Commission [into Aged Care Quality and Safety] in its findings said that is desperately needed," she said.
"Right now, there isn't even a requirement for there to be one registered nurse on duty 24 hours a day at a nursing home — that is just simply a disgrace."
Jeta Gardens staffing 'stable'
The federal Health Department spokesperson said clinical first responders were used at Jeta Gardens alongside additional nurses and personal care workers, but that ADF assistance was never required.
"As part of a surge workforce, clinical first responders have been deployed alongside additional nurses and personal care workers to support the staff and care for residents," the spokesperson said.
"Staffing is now stable. The facility has also been supported with PPE from the national medical stockpile, PCR testing and rapid antigen test kits."
There are now only four active cases among Jeta staff members, the spokesperson said.
Jeta Gardens CEO Wesley Carter said an evacuation of residents had never been discussed with authorities and "media reports to the contrary are without base".
"We will continue to work with the federal government and other sector stakeholders to monitor and address any further issues," Mr Carter said.
