August 23, 2017
Orana Lutheran Complex in Kingaroy was placed into lockdown on Tuesday afternoon after four residents were confirmed as having influenza.
A spokesman for the aged care facility said the lockdown was a precautionary measure to stop the disease spreading.
The four residents have been placed into isolation and are being treated.
“We are pretty conservative about this, even if we only suspect a case of the flu we will notify the Department of Health’s Public Health Unit,” the spokesman said.
The automatic lockdown, which follows guidelines set down by the Department of Health, means no visitors are allowed at Orana.
“If anyone is planning on a visit in the next two weeks, contact Orana first,” the spokesman said.
“If you have been planning to take a relative out for a weekend, we will try to work with the family.”
The spokesman said the precautions were necessary as the flu particularly affected the elderly and very young.
“We do it because it is the right thing to do to contain the infection,” he said.
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The current outbreak of influenza has been causing havoc in Queensland, with almost 26,000 cases recorded across the State so far.
About 12,500 people have been struck down in the past three weeks alone, and stocks of Tamiflu – which are used to treat the flu in the early stages – are running low.
Four nursing homes in Toowoomba were placed into lockdown last week, and Fairholme College was closed for several days.
Calls to Triple 0 have also spiked with a record number recorded last week.
The flu isn’t the only disease going around.
Nursing homes and aged care centres have also been on the alert for cases of norovirus after outbreaks in Victoria and NSW, and suspected cases in Caboolture.
