Restrictions are in place from 11:59pm on Thursday 15 July 2021.
This means that you cannot leave your home unless you are doing it for one of the five following reasons:
– shopping for necessary goods and services
– care and caregiving, including medical care, or to get a COVID-19 test
– exercise
– authorised work and permitted study
– to get a COVID-19 vaccination
Requirements for residential aged care facilities
Please note that for all residential aged care facilities in Victoria the following requirements apply from 11:59pm 15 July 2021.
- No visitors are permitted into aged care or other sensitive settings, except for end-of-life reasons or other specified purposes.
End of life care visits
Two visitors at a time?(a group may exceed the “two visitors at a time” rule if dependents of a visitor are in the group and care for the dependents cannot be arranged).
Do not have to be from the same household.
No time limits.
No specified purpose required.
No daily limit.
Specified purposes
Provide essential care or support for the resident’s immediate physical or emotional wellbeing.
Is the parent,?carer?or guardian of a person under the age of 18.
As a nominated person (as defined in the Mental Health Act 2014).
As an interpreter or to provide language support.
To learn to support the resident’s care upon discharge.
Visitor restrictions for specified purposes visits
Two visitors at one time.
Do not have to be from the same household.
No time limits.
Specified purpose required.
No more than two visitors per day, including dependents.
A group may exceed the “two visitors at a time” rule if dependents of a visitor (or patient in hospital) are in the group and care for the dependents cannot be arranged.
Face mask requirements
All visitors are required to wear face masks.
All workers are required to wear surgical face masks.
Other measures
All workers and permitted visitors must check in to the facility using the Service Victoria check-in app.
Testing residents with COVID-19 compatible clinical and/or epidemiological risk factors.
Screening visitors and staff and continuing daily workforce attestations.
Telehealth recommended wherever possible for aged care residents.
Restricting permitted visitors and staff found to have visited?exposure sites?until they have returned a negative test result.
Tier 3 PPE for high-risk suspected and confirmed COVID-19 residents.
Student clinical placements permitted in all settings but restricted from providing care/being exposed to high-risk SCOVID and confirmed COVID patients.?Students restricted to one site only.
Where practicable, care facility workers should be limited to working at one site.
If there is an outbreak at a RACF, all worker mobility is to strictly cease.
Where there is an outbreak, workers cannot work anywhere else without 14 days quarantine and a negative test 3 days from end of quarantine period.
It is anticipated geographic locations and exposure sites will continue to be updated.
Please monitor this webpage and Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria?for the latest information.
Guidance on COVID-19 risks for residential aged care facilities (RACFs) (Word)
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/aged-care-sector-coronavirus-disease-covid-19
Please note, this only applies to RACF, as an agency worker as we are documenting all movements and reitterating that ALL staff follow the check in and screening procedures at every site that you are being allocated to, we are using practical measures to ensure there is little movement across facilities where possible. As we are an agency this is not always practicable therefore if the RACF you are working for imposes these restrictions then that is fine we respect that however let us know of this immediately.
What are the restrictions on workers?
Only permitted workers (in accordance with the current Care Facilities Directions and the Victorian Government’s Authorised Provider and Authorised Worker List) are permitted to enter care facilities to perform permitted work at the care facility.
Workers must not enter any facility if they:
- are required to self-isolate or self-quarantine in accordance with the current Diagnosed Persons and Close Contacts Directions
- arrived in Australia within the last 14 days, unless they have come from a green travel zone as designated by the Victorian Government via a ‘quarantine-free flight’
- have had known contact in the past 14 days with a confirmed case of COVID-19
- are unwell with any symptoms of COVID-19, including a cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, fever, headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, loss of smell, loss of taste, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, except where those symptoms are caused by an underlying health condition or medication.
- are awaiting test results for a COVID-19 test
- have visited a Tier 1 exposure site and have been advised to immediately isolate, get a COVID-19 test, and remain isolated for 14 days
Any workers who have visited a Tier 2 exposure site should not work until they return a negative result for COVID-19. They should isolate until they receive their negative result.
Can I work across more than one care facility?
An employer must not require or allow a worker to work at more than one care facility, unless it is not practicable to limit the worker to one facility. The employer will need to demonstrate systems of work to minimise the number of workers across multiple facilities.
If a worker is working at more than one facility for more than one employer, they must advise each employer of the details of each arrangement, and each employer must keep a record of it.
Advice for frontline workers
If your normal work involves moving between health services, you can continue to do this to provide care and do your job.
But you must not go to work if you are unwell.
For more details, see:
- Movement of healthcare workers and health service employees during coronavirus (COVID-19) (Word)
- Guidance on Daily Attestations (Word)
- Andrew Wilson, the Chief Medical Officer, speaks about the importance of staff completing declarations to consider their health before they start work
Please see link below for authorised worker list, we are listed as labour hire services in the healthcare industry and we are all classified as essential. If your worksites are not permitting you to work anywhere else then please let us know ASAP.
https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/authorised-provider-and-authorised-worker-list
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/victorias-restriction-levels-covid-19
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/help-and-support-healthcare-workers-coronavirus-covid-19
