COVID-19 Alert 17 August 2021

Yesterday, the Premier announced a strengthening and extension of restrictions in response to increasing exposure sites and community transmission. 

The current lockdown has been extended for an additional two weeks, until Thursday 2 September.

A stay-at-home curfew is now in place. Between 9pm and 5am, you cannot leave your home (or the home of your intimate partner or bubble buddy) other than for limited reasons, including:

• authorised work (health care is authorised work)
• health and medical purposes
• care and support of a child or someone with special needs
• in an emergency or to escape harm

Outside curfew hours, you cannot leave your home other than for one of the five following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or to get a COVID-19 test
• authorised work or permitted education (health care is authorised work)
• exercise (once a day for two hours)
• to get a COVID-19 vaccination

Read more about the changes to restrictions here.

Travelling to and attending work
Authorised workers (you) are permitted to attend onsite work and to travel to and from work, even when the curfew is in place. Please carry your Monash Health Employee ID when travelling – it can be used in place of a permit. Read about what to do if your employee ID needs replacing.

Keeping our patients and colleagues safe

• If you have not yet received your COVID-19 vaccination, please make a booking today.
• Stay up-to-date with the list of over 500 exposure sites and take the necessary action if required. Read about a simple ‘hack’ to check exposure sites quickly before attestation
• 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. Leaving home to get tested is permitted.
• Complete your daily attestations carefully, and use the QR code system when you use any of our shared spaces.
• Stay vigilant with hand hygiene and physical distancing, in and out of work.

Employees wanting to pick up extra shifts in vaccination, testing and contact tracing
We are seeking applications from employees who wish to do additional shifts in our high-volume vaccination centres, COVID-19 testing clinics and our contact tracing centre. Roles are open to a wide range of clinical and clinical support employees and students, including nursing, midwifery, allied health, dental and paramedic.  Read more here.

Part-time nurses wanting to pick up extra shifts at our hospital sites

We are also seeking applications from part-time nurses who are looking for additional shifts at our hospital sites. Simply complete and return this form to Monash Health Bureau via email mhbrecruitment@monashhealth.org.  For more information, please contact extension 57906.

Personal Protective Equipment
There are no changes to PPE at this time. Review our PPE Compulsory Standards here.

Visitor restrictions
There are no changes to visitor restrictions at this time.

 Elective surgery and procedures
There are no changes to elective surgery at this time. We will continue to work to ensure that our workforce is best used to meet the needs of the community.

Specialist outpatient consulting
Specialist Consulting Clinics can continue to see patients face-to-face. Clinicians may change patient appointments to telehealth bookings based on an 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.

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

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.

Working from home
Where it is operationally viable to perform your role remotely, continue to do so. However, remote working arrangements must be approved by your manager.

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

 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 is available
If you are experiencing anxiety or stress, we have a wide range of resources available to help you. These can be found on the Health and Wellbeing page on the Monash Health COVID-19 website.

 Restrictions are challenging but play an important role in keeping our community safe while we work towards our vaccination target. Please look after yourself, stay safe, and if you’re struggling, let your manager or a colleague know.

Thank you again for all that you do.

Andrew Stripp
Chief Executive