Last week NDS was able to provide disability service providers with advance notice of restrictions. DFFH has now provided additional information in two factsheets on their website.

COVIDSafe Summer – Factsheet for residential disability services [Word]
COVIDSafe Summary – Factsheet for community services [Word]

Key points for Residential Disability Services

There are no longer any restrictions on ‘reasons to leave home’ and this applies across all disability settings.

Visitor restrictions

Restrictions on visitors to disability residential and community care services, including Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) are:

• One household (up to 5 people) may visit a resident in a care facility once per day.
• One family member (including kinship) may visit a resident (18yrs plus) per day for one hour only. There is no limit to visitors for a resident who is a minor
• Behavioural support for an individual is limited to one visitor at any one time with no time limit
• Interpreter support for an individual is limited to one visitor at any time with no time limit
• End of life support is limited to two visitors at any one time with no time limit
• Prospective residents may be accompanied by one visitor at any one time with no time limit

Disability residential services support workers and carers are considered workers, not visitors, with no limit on time or number of visits.

Support and essential care workers can visit as often as needed in a day for an individual in a disability resident setting, with the only restriction being a limit of one worker per time with the resident.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Face shields (protective eyewear) are no longer required to be worn by workers in disability residential settings unless their activity with a resident includes aerosol generating procedures.

Facemasks must still be worn unless a lawful exemption applies by all staff, contractors, volunteers and visitors indoors. Facemasks are only required outdoors if physical distancing is not possible.

Unchanged restrictions

Screening

Workforce and visitor screening requirements have not changed. Providers should continue to monitor the Tier 1 exposure site list and prevent entry to anyone who exhibits symptoms or has been a close contact of someone with COVID-19.  Access should also not be permitted to anyone who, in the last 14 days, has either been at a hotel quarantine site or has travelled to Australia from overseas.

Testing

Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must isolate and get tested.

If providers have clients who require testing, DFFH request you email the contact details to HSCRRC_outbreak@dhhs.vic.gov.au.

DFFH is updating its advice of any further changes relevant to the disability sector, which we will publish on the NDS website when it becomes available. We encourage disability service providers to regularly check the DFFH Coronavirus daily update.

Density limits

Workplaces can re-open with a ‘return to work’ cap of 50 per cent. There is no cap on numbers where the facility density does not exceed:

• one person per 2 sqm if using electronic record-keeping (including staff)
• one person per 4 sqm with manual recording (including staff).

Density limits apply to communal spaces that visitor’s access and not a resident’s own room.

For more information

• Victorian Government Coronavirus website
• The DFFH website or call 1800 675 398.
• NDS’s Victorian COVID-19 Response Hub