i As of 17 August 2024 the NSW Respiratory Surveillance – COVID 19 and Influenza Report reports cases of COVID are Low and cases of other respiratory viral illnesses are Moderate-Low in the community.

 As a consequence, it is no longer mandatory for staff and visitors to wear a mask, unless they are supporting a participant who is symptomatic or has a diagnosed illness requiring infection control measures to be in place.

 Staff who are symptomatic will be required to conduct a Rapid Antigen Test prior to their next rostered shift and report any positve result.

Requirements for staff, participants and visitors.  

 Staff

Entry restrictions

Staff, including students, contractors, volunteers, pathology collectors and therapists should not enter Inala if they have:

• Tested positive for COVID-19. Staff should not enter an RACF for at least 7 days after their positive test and when symptoms have resolved. 
• Any acute respiratory or influenza-like symptoms.
• Been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19. See below for further information. 

Staff exposed to COVID-19

• If the exposure has been in the workplace, managers should refer to Appendix 2 of the RACF ARI Guidanceto support decision making for when staff can safely return to work, particularly if they are critical to service delivery.
• If the exposure has been outside of the workplace, staff should refer to the Advice for people exposed to COVID-19 fact sheet. Facilities are encouraged to determine their own advice for when it is safe for employees to return to work. 

Testing staff for COVID-19

It’s encouraged that facilities provide free RATs to staff to promote testing as required but regular surveillance testing is not required when there are low levels of COVID-19 in the community. Please note that staff with respiratory symptoms should not attend work even with a negative RAT result.

Mask wearing

Mask wearing is mandatory for all staff when in close contact with participants. Please remember that masks can be removed for staff:

• While communicating with people who are hearing impaired
• If wearing a mask creates a risk to health and safety
• Where clear enunciation or visibility of your mouth is essential
• If they are working alone in an indoor area
• To eat or drink; staff are encouraged to enjoy their meal breaks in areas with good natural ventilation or outdoors
• Staff removing a mask for one of the above reasons can decrease the risk of transmission by physically distancing from others.

Participants

Participants are required to have a RAT before entering another service if symptomatic or a close contact. 

Do not support a participant to day service if symptomatic (regardless of a negative RAT). Advise the Service Coordinator as soon as possible of the participants inability to attend Day Service.

Visitors

Entry restrictions

Visitors should not enter the facility if they have:

• Tested positive for COVID-19. Visitors should not enter Inala for at least 7 days after their positive test, unless agreement has been reached with Inala (e.g. for compassionate reasons).
• Any acute respiratory symptoms or are waiting for a COVID-19 or other respiratory pathogen test result. For further information please refer to the advice in the Advice for people exposed to COVID-19.
• If a visit must occur when a visitor meets the above circumstances, the visitor must wear a mask when moving through the facility and minimise movement within the facility.

• Mask wearing

For all visitors, wearing a mask indoors is encouraged when respiratory viruses are circulating at moderate or high levels in the community, as per the NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report.