The Victorian Government has provided guidance to the disability sector about the use of rapid antigen testing for workforce surveillance.

Rapid Antigen Testing

The rapid antigen workforce surveillance testing - Guidance for disability support workers document is for disability residential accommodation, short-term accommodation and assistance, day programs, in-home support, and community access support.

Residential care settings

Surveillance testing of workers in residential services is recommended two to three times a week with an interval of at least 72 hours between tests.
Residential providers may receive a limited supply of RATs from the Victorian Government where there is a shortfall of Commonwealth Government-supplied tests.

For information on finding and securing Commonwealth-supplied RATs, visit the NDIS website or email the Readiness, Response and Emergency Management division on RREMrapidantigentests@dffh.vic.gov.au for assistance accessing state government supplies.

Non-residential and community settings

Providers are recommended to consider the risks relevant to their clients and the support services being provided as part of any workforce surveillance testing regime.

The guidance document includes a useful table, which includes potential factors to consider ahead of implementing workforce surveillance. Providers are encouraged to self-source rapid antigen tests.

RAT supplies and resources

All disability service providers can purchase rapid antigen tests from suppliers, pharmacies, supermarkets, and other retail outlets, including online. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) website  has a list of all home use tests approved by the TGA, along with a copy of the manufacturer’s instructions for each test.

Providers can now access a new NDS resource: Rapid Antigen Tests: Information for Disability Providers. This contains guidance and recommendations shared by providers and includes a worker RAT/PCR test result record to assist providers collect this information for worker support, contact assessment and furlough planning.

Disability sector COVIDSafe fact sheets

The latest fact sheets explaining COVIDSafe requirements for residential and non-residential services are available online at DFFH COVID-19 disability services sector. 

Providers should note that the advice for PPE in both residential and non-residential settings remains the same.

Workers, contractors and volunteers in residential settings:

• must wear a face mask at all times while indoors, and outdoors when 1.5 metres of physical distance cannot be maintained
• are recommended to wear an N95 respirator indoors when providing direct service

• are recommended to wear N95 respirator masks indoors when dealing directly with participants and outdoors when they can’t socially distance.

Worker mobility requirements

Restrictions on worker mobility still apply to residential disability services where there is an outbreak. Service providers must not permit the entry of an employee or contractor who worked at another worksite that had a confirmed case.

Vaccine autumn blitz

More than 120 pop-up vaccination clinics will operate across March to offer convenient access to COVID-19 vaccinations to lift Victoria’s third dose vaccination rate.

The pop-ups will be focused on areas where third dose vaccine update is lower than the state average of 62 per cent.

For more information, see Autumn pop-up push to lift third doses before winter.

Workers assisting people with disabilities who have specific vaccination support needs should direct their requests to the Disability Liaison Officers at vaccine information for people with a disability or special requirements.

Booster mandate

Disability workers must now have received their third dose before being permitted to work on site, unless a temporary or other medical exemption applies. Workers who were not eligible by the mandate deadline for a third dose have three months and two weeks from the date of their second dose to get their third dose.

Infection Prevention and Control training and resources

Infection prevention and control weekly webinars are being delivered by the Department of Health for disability workers. The webinars cover basic infection control principles and how to apply these relevant to their settings, followed by a short Q&A.

Wednesday webinars are for staff working in residential services, and Thursday webinars for community providers. They are also an opportunity to share and discuss what is working well with other facilities. They are repeated at the same time each week, and are delivered by The Department of Health, Infection Prevention Control Response (IPCAR) team.

Follow the Teams meeting links below or contact covid19education&training@health.vic.gov.au

Wednesdays at 11am to 12pm:
IPC for the Disability Sector (Residential Services)
Microsoft Teams Meeting link

Thursdays at 11am to 12pm:
IPC for the Disability Sector (Community-Based Services)
Microsoft Teams Meeting link

NDS Safer and Stronger has released a two-part podcast on minimising the risk of COVID-19 infection transmission from work to home - key infection prevention and control considerations for disability workers.

Infection prevention control consultant Bruce Greaves addresses worker concerns identified by NDS. Bruce shares his insights and tips from supporting frontline workers within COVID outbreak environments with NDS Disability Sector Consultant Heather McMinn.

Podcasts focus on personal clothing as baseline PPE, cleaning, waste management and mask wearing, and care of facial skin. 

Correct use of face masks videos are available on the NDS website, see PPE in the Infection Prevention Control Toolkit.

Upcoming NDS Living with COVID-19 session

NDS has scheduled another interactive session with representatives from DFFH, Department of Health and NDIA to hear updates and discuss emerging developments regarding COVID-19.

The interactive session will be on Friday 25 March at 12pm AEDT.

Register here