Testing of asymptomatic residential aged care workers

To slow the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and keep aged-care residents and staff safe, regular asymptomatic – or surveillance – testing of all staff working in residential aged care facilities began in October 2020.

The Workplace?(Additional Industry Obligations) Directions require that employers in the residential aged care facilities (as a care facility in Victoria), undertake the following actions:

1. Conduct surveillance testing of all workers that are usually working on the premises in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
2. Keep records of surveillance testing of workers for coronavirus (COVID-19)

In Metropolitan Melbourne, the DHHS requirement is that 50% of the workforce is tested each week with the aim of getting 100% of workers tested over a two-week period.

In Regional Victoria, the DHHS requirement is that 50% of the workforce is tested every fortnight with the aim of getting 100% of workers tested over a four-week period.

For the purposes of the surveillance testing requirements, this includes all direct employees, contract, sessional, casual and visiting staff members of residential aged care services across all shifts. It does not include contractors performing temporary work on-site.

For further information https://www.health.gov.au/news/newsletters/protecting-older-australians-covid-19-update-16-october-2020#testing-of-asymptomatic-residential-aged-care-workers-in-victoria

Visiting care facilities & Workers in care facilities

There are no longer any limits for visiting people in care facilities except for standard visiting rules set by the facility.

From 11:59pm on Sunday 22 November restrictions are changing for visits to care facilities in Victoria.

• There are no limits on the purpose of visits, the number of visitors or the length of the visit. Visits to people living in care facilities are no longer limited by Chief Health Officer directions. Visitors will need to follow visiting rules set by the facility.
• People of any age can visit people in care facilities.
• Do not visit someone in a care facility if you are feeling unwell.
• Visitors to any care facility across Victoria must wear a face mask, unless they have a lawful reason for not doing so.
• All personal care workers, including hairdressers and barbers, can visit care facilities to provide hairdressing services to residents

Care facilities must comply with the four square metre rule that limit the number of people that can be in a shared communal space at the same time. Density limits do not apply in bedrooms of aged care facilities.

Declarations:

Workers and visitors need to declare in writing at the start of a shift or the visit that they:

• do not have?coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms; and
• have not been in contact with a confirmed case (except with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) at work); and
• have not been required to isolate or quarantine in accordance with the?Diagnosed Persons and Close Contacts Directions.

Workers?must not enter?any facility if they:

• are unwell with any symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), including a cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, fever, headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
• have a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees
• arrived in Australia within the last 14 days
• have been diagnosed with coronavirus (COVID-19) and have not yet been given clearance from self-isolation
• have had known contact in the past 14 days with a person who was a confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Workers in a care facility across Victoria must wear a face mask.

Care facilities need to keep a record of people who work at or who visit each care facility and when. These records need to be kept for 28 days from the day of entry. Record the following details:

• the contact details of the person; and
• the date and time at which the person entered the care facility
• the date and time at which the person left the care facility
• responses to the declarations (above)
• screening information (for example, temperature check).