“Our priority is always the well-being of our residents, their family and our staff,” spokeswoman Helen Spoor said.

“When there is an Influenza outbreak with resident’s diagnosed, we follow the same guidance as all other residential aged care providers, which is given by the Public Health Unit and Communicable Diseases Network,” she said.

“The guidelines advise restricting access to homes following a diagnosis of influenza to protect our residents who are elderly and vulnerable.

“We apologise for any distress this causes families who are unable to visit their loved ones.

“We keep lines of communication open to ensure we inform families as soon as the restriction has been removed.”

Western NSW Local Health District’s acting health protection manager Priscilla Stanley urged people to stay home if they were sick to help their recovery and stop the spread of disease.

“There are lots of things that people can do in the homes and workplaces to help prevent the spread of winter colds and flu,” Ms Stanley said.

“It’s important that you ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ by covering your face when you cough or sneeze, dispose of tissues after you’ve used them, and then wash your hands thoroughly to get rid of any germs.

“If you’re visiting someone in hospital, even if you feel completely well, make use of the hand sanitiser provided, and if you are sick, maybe reschedule your visit.

“The same goes for visiting people in residential aged care, particularly because older people can be more susceptible to illness.

“Finally, if you haven’t had a flu vaccine, it’s not too late. Talk to your doctor about how you can be vaccinated.”