Chief Health Officer important updates….. Health services and hospitals are reminded of the clearance criteria for patients and health care workers confirmed with COVID-19.
Health care workers and workers in aged care facilities who are confirmed cases are required to undergo further testing before they can return to work in a healthcare setting or aged care facility. This includes two consecutive negative respiratory specimens collected 24 hours apart after the acute illness has resolved.
Testing for return-to-work clearance can commence once the acute illness has resolved, provided this is at least 7 days after the onset of illness. Testing should be arranged by the healthcare worker’s employer, the healthcare or aged care worker’s treating doctor, or at a coronavirus assessment centre if testing by the treating doctor is not feasible.
Health services, assessment centres or testing centres should not refuse the testing or assessment of health care workers or members of the public. Close contacts of a confirmed COVID-19 case cannot be ‘cleared’ until they have completed a full 14 day self-isolation period from the time of last contact with the confirmed case. This 14 day requirement reflects the incubation period for COVID-19 and remains in place irrespective of whether a negative PCR result has been received within these 14 days.
Healthcare workers and other frontline employees will be able to have their test results returned faster.
What restrictions will be placed on visits?
Across Victoria, patients in public, private and denominational hospitals, multi-purpose services and day procedure centres will only be allowed one visit per day, from a maximum of two visitors at one time for two hours a day.
Are there exemptions to these rules?
There are some categories where visitors can stay longer than two hours, but the maximum limit of two visitors at a time will still apply. These exemptions are:the parent, guardian or temporary carer of a patient who is under 18 years old
the carer of a patient with a disability
the partner or support person of a patient who is pregnant and attending hospital in relation to their pregnancy
accompanying a patient to the hospital’s emergency department
accompanying the patient to an outpatient appointment
providing end of life support to a patient of the hospital.
Before you can enter any hospital to visit a patient in one of the above categories, you will be screened to ensure you do not have a temperature. Further advice on implementation will be provided shortly.
For further info please visit https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/health-services-and-general-practitioners-coronavirus-disease-covid-19
