A Newmarch House worker tells an inquiry about the desperate struggle to provide care for vulnerable residents as COVID-19 spread through the Western Sydney facility, resulting in 19 deaths.
The care manager of Newmarch House has told an inquest of the "traumatic situation" she was confronted with in the early days of a COVID-19 outbreak at the aged care home as staff tried desperately to meet the basic needs of residents.
Melinda Burns, who had been at Newmarch House since it opened in 2011, gave evidence that while she'd had previous experience with influenza and gastro outbreaks in an aged care setting, COVID-19 represented new territory. Ms Burns said that some workers refused to look after residents who had tested positive and at one point during a meeting, there were no staff to serve meals.