By Mitchell Clarke
As the state slowly reaches a Covid normal, residents at Kooweereup Regional Health Service (KRHS) have begun welcoming visitors back into the facility.
From Monday 19 October, the service re-introduced internal visits at its care facilities, with strict protocols enforced to ensure resident and staff safety.
KRHS CEO Frank Megens said the health service had consulted families about resuming visits or keeping the facilities closed for a further three weeks.
Mr Megens said there had been an “overwhelming response” from families to resume visits.
He added the decision was made due to no active cases of Covid-19 within the Kooweerup or great Cardinia area.
“These are small steps but we welcome visitors back into the facility and look forward to taking further safe steps in the future,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor the broader relaxation of restrictions in Victoria and base any further decisions on the latest government information and the local situation.”
From Monday 26 October, residents and visitors were allowed to leave the grounds to visit an outdoor park or coffee shop based on a risk assessment by the nurse in charge, however home visits are off the cards until at least 9 November.
The popular window visits can continue to be allowed for up to an hour between 10am and 5pm.
For those visiting on site, masks will be required and physical distancing enforced and visits will be restricted to the resident’s room of the KRHS garden.
