Coronavirus Updates for Residents, Friends & Family

In Tasmania, visits to residential aged care facilities are permitted for families, friends and people providing care and support. Individual sites and facilities may have in place their own processes and procedures to protect our most vulnerable members of the community. This may include:

• undertaking a rapid antigen test (RAT) before entering
• wearing a face mask at all times while you remain on the premises
• requiring vaccination for COVID-19 and/or flu
• entry screening for all visitors and contractors

People who are in isolation after being diagnosed with COVID-19 or are a close contact of a case are not permitted to visit, unless they have an exemption provided by Public Health.

Anyone who has symptoms of COVID 19, even mild, should not enter an aged care facility until their symptoms have got better even if they test negative to COVID-19.

An exemption for close contacts and cases to visit residential aged care premises may be provided by the Director of Public Health or delegate on compassionate grounds. Find out about the exemption application process.

For more information, please visit: Aged Care Facility Visits in Tasmania.

Source: www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au

Entry Requirements: There are no limits on visitor numbers. All visitors must have a negative result from a COVID-19 rapid antigen test taken on the same day that they attend the care facility. All visitors must wear a face covering while visiting a facility.

Visitor Declarations

All visitors must declare in writing at the start of their visit that they:

• are free of COVID-19 symptoms (other than symptoms caused by health condition or medication); and
• are not currently required to self-isolate, self-quarantine or a close contact in accordance with the Quarantine, Isolation and Testing Order; and
• have received a negative result from a COVID-19 rapid antigen test on the same day that they attend the care facility.

Excluded visitors

While visitors are allowed, under the Public Safety Order 2022, some people are not permitted to enter a care facility. This includes people who:

• are required to isolate or quarantine
• are a close contact
• have symptoms of COVID-19 (unless caused by an underlying medical contiion)
• have had a COVID-19 PCR test and are waiting for the result

An exemption to this requirement maybe granted if the visitor is providing end of life support to a resident by the Director of the facility and the Chief Health Officer or Deputy Chief Health Officer or Director or Medical Lead of a designated Local Public Health Unit.

Essential Visitors

• persons providing end of life support and visits
• parents or guardians of the resident if they are aged under 18 years
• parent, guardian (including guardians appointed by VCAT), partner, carer, support, or other named person of a resident who is aged 18 or over to provide emotional and social support
• persons providing care and/or support for a resident’s physical, cognitive, social, or emotional wellbeing (including mental health support and support for people living with dementia)
• nominated person in the case of a resident’s mental illness or incapacity
• persons providing education and/or training to support a resident’s transition of care
• interpreters or inform language support
• aged and disability care advocates
• legal representatives of residents and persons with power of attorney for residents
• volunteers attending as part of a formal community visitors scheme.

Visits during an outbreak

The Benchmark Essential Visitors List outlines the minimum visitation requirements for residents – including when there are active outbreaks occurring within a facility. All visits should be based on a local risk assessment, under guidance of the Local Public Health Unit (LPHU) as needed.

When on-site during an outbreak, visitors/carers must follow the same facility protocols (for example, entry screening) and requirements, e.g., mandatory vaccination, wearing PPE as is required by staff at the facility.

For more information, please visit: Aged Care Facility Visits in Victoria.

Source: www.health.vic.gov.au

Testing for COVID-19

Visitors should provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) result taken just before entry. Visitors providing essential care and entering on a regular basis can, with the agreement of the RACF, do less frequent testing. In these circumstances, the minimum recommended interval is twice weekly.

Limitation on numbers

Visitor restrictions are no longer included in the Public Health Order. However, the recommended limit for visitors is 2 adults and 2 children per resident within a 24-hour period. Operators of RACF may increase the number of visitors for a resident depending on their circumstances. For example:

• A special occasion such a birthday
• Visitors have travelled a long distance
• Visitors have not seen the resident for an extended period of time
• It is for the purposes of end of life.

Additional measures

• Where possible, visits should be held outdoors or in well-ventilated areas away from other residents.
• All visitors over 12 years of age must wear a surgical mask over their nose and mouth while visiting indoors. For reasons when masks can be removed, please see Additional Advice – Mandatory mask wearing.
• Visitors and staff should maintain social distance and limit interactions.
• Visitors should not move between different areas of the facility and should only visit the resident in their room or in an outdoor location.

Vaccination

• Visitors are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and to receive their booster when it is due.
• Visitors are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated for seasonal influenza.

Visitors must not enter a RACF at all if they:

• Have COVID-19 symptoms.
• Are a household or close contact. These people must comply with the directions in the NSW Health Household and Close Contact Guidelines and must not visit a RACF for at least 7 days after the last person in their house had a positive COVID-19 test. They should continue to avoid RACFs for an additional 7 days where possible. If there are extenuating compassionate reasons for visiting a RACF and the visitor does not have symptoms of COVID-19, the facility may risk assess to determine whether a visit can safely occur.
• Are waiting for a COVID-19 test result.
• Have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days.

For more information, please visit Aged Care Facility Visits in NSW.

Source: www.health.nsw.gov.au