The Australian Defence Force has been deployed to an aged care facility in the New South Wales central west following an outbreak of COVID-19.
Ten ADF personnel were sent to the BaptistCare Niola centre in Parkes after nine residents and several staff tested positive.
It is the second outbreak of coronavirus at the centre this year after previously recording 26 cases among residents between January 31 and February 21.
Five of the Defence personnel will be providing clinical care to residents while the rest of the team will support staff with general duties such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry.
Phil Brown, the southern regional operations manager for BaptistCare, said residents are only displaying mild symptoms.
"We have got some residents with some serious health care needs and we are watching those conditions closely, but for the most part the residents that have COVID at Niola have had very mild symptoms," he said.
One area of the home has been closed to non-essential visitors, while the rest of the centre remains open to fully vaccinated visitors.
The Defence staff will remain at the aged care home for the rest of the week, however Mr Brown said they will monitor staffing needs and the possibility of extending their stay.
Staff fatigue
Mr Brown said after experiencing an outbreak earlier this year the staff would not have been able to provide the necessary care without ADF support.
"With respect to the staff that we have on the floor, the residents and their care needs, and the fact they are isolated from their families, we were not shy of accepting the assistance," he said.
"The workforce in the first instance was severely depleted and the staff that remained were very committed.
"They were exhausted but kept turning up, they were doing double shifts and they were doing extra shifts.
Mr Brown said the personnel were a welcome addition for residents in the home.
"The general duties staff are able to provide activities for the residents who are in the home, so that is some social contact which is very much needed," he said.
