Inverell aged care centre, McLean Care, has urged people suffering from flu symptoms to stay away, in the wake of coronavirus reaching Australia.
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Two people have died from the disease: a 95-year-old nursing home resident in Sydney and a 78-year-old man in Perth.
"We know that, like the very young, the elderly are more susceptible respiratory illness outbreak than the broader community given that older people can often have compromised immune systems already," Rose Wild, General Manager of Home and Community Services, said.
She said McLean Care had processes in place to assess and manage their residents, clients and staff who may have any viral infections.
"However we are asking the community to abstain from visiting our care facility if you are showing any flu-like symptoms or have been in contact with anyone who has," she said.
On Wednesday, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard confirmed a worker at the Dorothy Henderson Lodge aged care centre in western Sydney had been diagnosed with COVID-19, placing elderly residents at risk.
McLean CEO, Sue Thompson, said they were urging all the communities where they manage aged care facilities to be prudent when considering visits to their elderly relatives in general.
"Catching this type of virus is of grave concern for older people, who are highly susceptible to such diseases, and the consequence for them could be dire," Ms Thomson said.
Those with immune comprised systems such as the pregnant, elderly, those recently fighting a severe infection, and children.