A SYDNEY aged care employee has been diagnosed with coronavirus, potentially exposing elderly residents.
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Health authorities confirmed the woman in her 50s worked at Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Macquarie Park.
In a press conference on Wednesday, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the woman had not travelled.
"She had not been overseas. She had not been to any of the hot spots around the world. So, that raises the question, how did she end up with coronavirus," Mr Hazzard said.
The infected staff member had worked with 13 residents, 11 of which have since been isolated and two that have presented with respiratory symptoms.
One of these residents was a 95-year-old woman who recently died.
"Whether or not it was related to corona, we don't know at this point," Mr Hazzard said, adding that a second resident was undergoing testing.
The aged-care worked is the third person to be infected via human-to-human transmission in Australia, with all three cases in NSW.
In a statement, Dorothy Henderson Lodge's operator BaptistCare confirmed it was working with NSW Health in relation to the diagnosis.
Latest reports indicate 15 positive COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed in NSW since the outbreak began.
More to come.
