5.30 pm: 28 June 2021
To all CALHN staff.
Action: Please ensure you adhere to the below requirements. Managers are asked to actively share this information with staff who may not have access to email.
As you may have seen, the State Government has announced a tightening of restrictions that will come into effect at midnight tonight. To view these restrictions, click here.
It is very important that we remind everyone to check-in using the COVIDSAfe Check-In when entering your workplace and any public places. If someone in South Australia tests positive to COVID-19, the COVID SAfe Check-In enables SA Health to quickly contact others who may have been exposed to the virus and stop the spread of COVID-19.
We also ask that where possible, staff adhere to physical distancing, and for the next seven days, where possible, use Microsoft Teams for meetings.
Wearing masks
Masks will be mandatory in all hospital, healthcare and aged care facilities from midnight tonight.
We are awaiting further information regarding the directive and what this means for staff working in non-hospital settings such as Roma Mitchell House. As soon as we know more, we will communicate this with you. For now we ask that staff in those setting wear a mask if they cannot adhere to physical distancing.
All CALHN staff are to wear a workplace supplied surgical mask while on site. Staff who require additional PPE in accordance with their clinical exposure are to adhere to the PPE Matrix.
All people who use public transport, taxi’s and passenger-ride share vehicles are also encouraged to wear a mask. If you would like to take a mask to wear on your way home, please do the right thing and only take what you genuinely need for this purpose – you are trusted to do the right thing.
All visitors to CALHN sites will also be asked to wear a mask while on site.
Our healthcare worker and infection control team have put together a helpful fact sheet on wearing a mask.
Visitors
Currently there are no changes to the existing visitor limits for our sites. If this changes we will report immediately.
We do however encourage QR check in across all our sites, hand hygiene and maintaining physical distancing of 1.5m at all times. Screening of visitors should be done at both ward and entrance level. Managing people through our sites is all of our responsibility.
Reminder to get tested
Employees who show symptoms of COVID-19 are not permitted to attend the workplace, or if already in the workplace you must notify your manager and leave immediately to obtain a COVID-19 test.
You will need to self-report using the self-isolation reporting form if you:
- are unwell and exhibiting symptoms associated with COVID-19
- have had close contact with a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19
- have had casual contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19
- have been advised or directed to self-isolate, self-quarantine or be tested for COVID-19
- have been tested for COVID-19 and are awaiting test results
- have tested positive for COVID-19
- have tested negative for COVID-19
- are being treated for COVID-19.
If you need to be tested, please visit the SA Health website to find your closest clinic.
Returning from interstate
As healthcare workers we need to take a risk-based approach. If you have been in a known hotspot during the timeframes listed on the COVID-19 website contact your line manager and the Clinical Worker Health Service for further advice and a risk assessment before returning to work.
It is important to contact with CALHN’s Clinical worker health service (on the details below) as soon as possible to determine if this applies to your particular circumstance.
Clinical worker health service
Royal Adelaide Hospital: Mon– Fri, 8am - 4pm
Telephone: 0401 689 039, email Health.RAHworkerhealthservice@sa.gov.au
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Mon- Fri, 8am - 4pm, Telephone: 0423 824 010, email: HealthTQEHworkerhealthservice@sa.gov.au
After hours urgent healthcare worker related queries, telephone: 0438 976 481
Time to get vaccinated
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to get vaccinated!
If you are yet to have your first COVID-19 vaccination it is strongly encouraged that you book in as soon as possible via the COVID-19 Vaccine eligibility checker or phone 0421 871 719 to speak directly with one of our clinic admin staff.
Staff that work in high risk areas that are not vaccinated may have to undergo a detailed risk assessment of their work activities, the area in which they work and the population care for in that area in order to identify appropriate actions to manage risk arising from COVID-19.
Stay informed
This afternoon the Incident Management Team met to discuss the situation and review our CoSTAT status (COVID status). Based on the current information we are remaining in CoSTAT 1 but will be continuing to monitor the situation.
To keep you up-to-date and find vital information on our COVID-19 response, visit the COVID-19 staff portal or join the CALHN workforce Facebook group.
Rachael Kay
CALHN COVID-19 Commander