COVID-19 Alert 27 July 2021- Easing of restrictions

Easing of restrictions

Yesterday the Premier announced that restrictions will ease from 11.59pm Tuesday 27 July. This welcome news comes as a result of your hard work and the diligence of our community in doing the right thing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

In summary, the changes for the next two weeks are:

• The five reasons to leave home, the five km rule and the two hour outside time limit are gone.
• If you can work from home, then you should.
• No visitors in our homes remains in place.

Importantly for so many of our people, all students can return to the classroom tomorrow.

Masks remain mandatory indoors and outdoors as a vital tool in slowing transmission of the virus. (A recent Burnet Institute study showed that masks played a huge role in slowing the spread of the virus in 2020.)

Keeping our workplace safe

• Please stay up-to-date with the list of exposure sites and take the necessary action if required.
• If you are unwell, stay home and get tested. You have priority access at our drive-through clinics – simply show your employee ID to the traffic controller.
• Complete your daily attestations carefully, and use the QR code systemwhen you use any of our shared spaces.
• Stay vigilant with hand hygiene and physical distancing, in and out of work.
• If you have not yet received your COVID-19 vaccination, make a booking today before vaccination eligibility opens up further and demand surges.
• If you have been working from home you should continue doing so, with your manager’s approval.

Personal Protective Equipment
There are no changes to PPE at this time. Masks are still required in all areas of the health service.

Review our PPE Compulsory Standards here.

Remember to risk-assess the situation before any patient contact. If you can’t assess the situation, it’s better to be over-prepared: “if in doubt, don’t go without”.

Visitor restrictions
There are no changes to visitor restrictions at this time. We will advise when updates are made.

Pharmaceutical and medical industry visitors
Pharmaceutical and medical industry visitors are not authorised to visit any Monash Health site.

Screening clinics
To assist those coming out of the 14-day quarantine period, we are expanding our screening clinic hours today and tomorrow.

• Clayton, Wellington Road clinic will be open until 8pm today and again from 9am to 8pm.
• The Pakenham, IYU Recreation Reserve clinic will be open until 6pm.

Elective surgery and procedures
There are no changes to elective surgery at this time.

Specialist outpatient consulting
Specialist Consulting Clinics will prioritise telehealth consultations when safe to do so. Clinicians will guide the need for a face-to-face appointment, based on individual assessment of each patient.

There is a range of quick reference guides and other resources available on our website to support employees as we continue to deliver high-quality care using telehealth channels.

Emergency Department
Monash Health’s emergency departments will continue to enact COVID-19 plans, including screening at entries and PPE requirements for patients.

Arrangements for those at higher risk of serious illness
Current arrangements for those at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19 remain in place. Please contact the Monash Health Employee Hotline on 9594 5815 if further guidance is needed.

All meetings to stay online
All Monash Health meetings should be conducted virtually whenever possible. This includes meetings for clinical teams. Please do not organise face-to-face meetings or team gatherings.

Information about using Webex conferencing tools is available on the coronavirus website.

Student clinical placements to continue but restrictions in place
Student clinical placements are permitted in all settings but restricted from providing care or being exposed to high-risk SCOVID and confirmed COVID-19 patients. As per the above, students are restricted to one campus or site only.

Support available
We have a wide range of resources available to you. These can be found on the Health and Wellbeing page on the Monash Health COVID-19 website.

Look after yourself, stay safe, and if you haven’t been vaccinated, I encourage you to do so.

Martin Keogh
Acting Chief Executive