Coronavirus (COVID-19) update – 7 January 2022
As of today, we have:
- 205 COVID-19 positive inpatients
- 403 employees with COVID-19
- 137 employees in precautionary quarantine
In this update, we cover:
- Rapid antigen testing for symptomatic employees at Wright Street, Clayton
- Asymptomatic testing for employees
- What to do if you test positive to COVID-19
- Reporting positive COVID-19 results for employees
- Temporary reduction to non-urgent surgery
With the continuing growth in new infections every day in our community, and many Monash Health employees either COVID-19 positive or furloughing, I wanted to let you know about some changes we are making to streamline employee testing and reporting.
One significant change is that you can do either a PCR or a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).
It is important to note that we are rapidly adapting our response to the changing nature of the pandemic. It is important you keep up to date with the most recent information.
Rapid antigen testing for symptomatic employees at Wright Street, Clayton
To increase access to COVID-19 testing for Monash Health employees, COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will be made available for symptomatic employees.
A Rapid Antigen Test will be available at 20 Wright Street, Clayton, opposite E Block of Monash Medical Centre.
We ask that you please park at the Brown Street South Car Park to avoid disruption to street parking and traffic congestion.
Once you have collected the RAT, the test must be used as soon as possible and conducted in your car.
From Saturday, this service will be available from 9:30am to 5:00pm, seven days a week. Please bring your Employee ID with you.
Due to stock limits, we are only able to provide tests to symptomatic employees, not asymptomatic employees or household/family members.
This is a temporary testing arrangement and will be reviewed once further test supplies are available.
To protect others, please wear a surgical mask at all times when walking between your car and the test collection point.
For more information on this additional initiative, please read more here.
Asymptomatic testingFor employees who require a COVID-19 test and are asymptomatic, priority asymptomatic testing is available in all clinical areas as part of the existing surveillance program and at our site-based Pathology Collection Centres at Clayton, Casey, Dandenong, and Moorabbin.
For more information, including location details and open hours, please visit our asymptomatic testing for employees webpage.
What to do if you test positive to COVID-19
As community transmission increases, Monash Health has introduced a new way for employees to self-report a positive COVID-19 test result, from either a PCR or rapid antigen test. This new and simple approach means, in many cases, employees will no longer need to call the Employee Hotline for reporting purposes.
Please see below information for the following:
- Employees who test positive with a positive PCR or positive RAT (with symptoms)
- Employees who test positive with a RAT (no symptoms)
Information for employees with positive PCR result or positive RAT (with symptoms) – steps to follow:
- Focus on your health and seek help if you need it.
- Immediately isolate at home or in private accommodation for seven days. If you share a house with others, isolate away from them as much as possible.
- Complete the Monash Health COVID-19 Positive Notification form which can be found here: https://contacttracepathway.monashhealth.org/selfReporting/selfReporting.htmlThe form is now on the home page of the COVID-19 website for employees.
- Complete the Department of Health self-reporting tool which can be found here: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/report
- Call your manager as soon as practical and advise that you will be unable to work for seven days.
- Look after yourself, and follow the advice available through the Department of Health https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist-cases
- Continue to isolate until midnight on Day 7 and return to work if well enough from Day 8. (Note: As part of our new approach to managing COVID-19 cases, you will no longer be notified when it is time to return to work).
- Further support – if you require further support, you may call the Employee COVID-19 Hotline on 8572 5610, 7am to 8pm, seven days a week. As per above, it is no longer necessary to notify the hotline if you have tested positive or are a close contact.
Information for employees with positive RAT result (no symptoms) – steps to follow:
- Please call the Employee COVID-19 Hotline on 8572 5610, 7am to 8pm, seven days a week for advice. As each individual circumstance may vary, in this case it is better to seek advice from the Hotline.
- Monitor for symptoms and seek help if required.
Temporary reduction to non-urgent surgery
As the Omicron strain continues to spread rapidly, the Victorian Department of Health has issued guidance that elective surgery will temporarily reduce to urgent procedures only for public and private hospitals in metropolitan Melbourne and major regional cities across Victoria.
To align with this guidance, Monash Health has temporarily reduced all non-urgent surgery. All emergency surgery and urgent elective surgery will continue. Resulting from these changes, Monash Health will have greater access to urgent elective surgery lists and inpatient beds through our Private Hospital Partnerships. As a result, we will extend the temporary closure of Cranbourne Integrated Care Centre (CICC) and Moorabbin Theatres to 31 March 2022, and Moorabbin Inpatient Clinical services to 31 January 2022. This provides greater workforce flexibility within our health service to support our COVID-19 Peak response.
The changes will be reviewed week-by-week, with clinical services resuming when it is safe to do so.
Thank you once again and please speak to someone if you need support. This might be your manager, or it might be speaking to someone at our employee assistance program.
Andrew StrippChief Executive
All managers are requested to share these updates with their teams and discuss at stand-ups and handovers. Please print a copy and display it in communication books and on employee noticeboards.
As advice and information evolve, please consult the latest updates and visit the Department of Health and Human Services and Monash Health COVID-19 website for employees regularly for the latest.