• Weekly Heathcare Worker Influenza Vaccination Data
• Mandatory Vaccination for Healthcare Workers
• VICNISS Surveillance Plans
• Literature Review by Dr Lyn-li Lim
• National Hand Hygiene Initiative Update

• 2020 Aged Care National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey

• COVID-19 Indeterminate Results - what to do?
• COVID-19 Infection Prevention & Control Guideline from DHHS
• COVID-19: HCW Contact Tracing and Return to Work tools
• Clinical Waste Guidelines from DHHS

Hospital/health services that have achieved 100% Cat A & B vaccination rate and ≥ 90% overall vaccination rate are no longer required to enter weekly influenza vaccination data.

As you know, earlier this year, the Health Services Amendment (Mandatory Vaccination of Healthcare Workers) Bill 2020 was passed in the Victorian Parliament.  VICNISS is awaiting further guidelines from the Victorian DHHS clarifying the details of this legislation and the timeframe these are to be rolled out. As soon as we have received confirmed information, we will let all Infection Control Professionals in Victorian Public and Private Health Services know what is required.

Surveillance plan Q4, 2019/20 (Apr – Jun 2020)

Up until recently hospitals have been extremely busy preparing for the COVID-19 pandemic however as we know hospital admissions for COVID-19 have not been as high as anticipated and several services, including elective surgery, will be recommencing soon.  Due to this change many hospitals are rethinking their surveillance plans for the remainder of this financial year and the next. VICNISS encourages hospitals to recommence any suspended surveillance when able.

Each hospital must update their own surveillance plan for the remainder of 2019/20 (Q4, Apr – Jun 2020). 

Surveillance Plans 2020/21 (Jul 2020 – Jun 2021)

You are advised to begin considering your VICNISS surveillance plan for the next financial year. The plan must be submitted by 30 June 2020.

DHHS is currently formulating the Performance Monitoring Framework 2020/21 however this will not be available by June 30.  Please complete the surveillance plan using the current performance monitor requirements knowing that this may need to be updated according to DHHS monitor when published.

If you need any clarification or assistance with any of the above VICNISS staff are always available to provide support and advice. 

Dr Lyn-li Lim has reviewed some COVID-19 resources;  ACSQHC  & National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce  as well as looking at "What is the significance of positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing post-discharge?"

Click on the link to read these reviews Learn more >

Click on the link below to read about the following topics that are covered in Jennifer's latest NHHI update:

• Please confirm bed numbers in HHCApp
• ​NHHI Audit 2 2020
• Change to HHCAPP reports
• Gold Standard Auditor resources

Learn more >

If you have any questions or would like to discuss any of the information on the NHHI, please phone 9342 9356 or email jennifer.bradford@mh.org.au

During the 2020 official time frame, data can be collected on any single day between June 1st and September 30th. Previous years the last day was August 30th.

The 2020 AC NAPS database is currently ‘under reconstruction’. We will keep you informed but at this stage we envisage 2020 data will be able to be entered from early July onwards. In the meantime and in preparation for the database opening, you can complete your data collection using the paper forms. These forms can be accessed via the NAPS website - naps.org.au  

As you are aware the VICNISS COVID19 patient monitoring requires hospitals to report all confirmed COVID-19 cases admitted to their facility.  On some occasions a laboratory will report a COVID-19 test as ‘indeterminate’ or ‘low positive’.  If this is the case, these patients should be considered equivalent to a ‘confirmed’ case and reported to VICNISS.  

These updates have been made following recent discussions with the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). DHHS advised that all infection control precautions and reporting for the confirmed positive case, per the Victorian guideline, should also apply to those with ‘indeterminate’ and ‘low positive’ COVID-19 test results.

If after further COVID-19 tests DHHS concludes the ‘indeterminate’ or ‘low positive’ result was negative (false positive) the patient can be deleted from the VICNISS COVID-19 patient monitoring database. We anticipate this will be an uncommon scenario but will work closely with hospitals to ensure accurate reporting.

All forms and documentation in the COVID-19 manual on the VICNISS website has been reviewed and updated to reflect this latest information.

The Department of Health and Human Services Coronarvirus Disease 2019 Infection Prevention and Control Guideline is now accessible  here

The principles outlined in this guideline apply broadly to all settings including:

• Acute/Subacute Care
• Residential Care, also see COVID-19 Plan for the Victorian Aged Care Sector 3
• Community health care
• Patient transport
• Non-healthcare settings, for example, office buildings, retail businesses, social venues, construction and industrial workplaces

Healthcare Worker Contact Tracing and Return to Work tools

A single confirmed case of a staff member or patient, in a healthcare/aged care facility will require systematic contact tracing.

Each facility should ensure that either an infection control team member or equivalent coordinates the contact tracing process.

VICNISS has developed  tools to support this undertaking.  The tools include a COVID-19 Tracking tool and contact tracing excel spreadsheet and a COVID-19 HCW return to work planner.  They are available in COVID-19 module and in the Infection Control Toolbox

The Department of Health and Human Services has released the Clinical and related waste guidance – Supplement for healthcare staff . The supplement aligns with the Environmental Protection Agencies' (EPA) Clinical and related waste – operational guidance (IWRG612) and is a user-friendly guide for Victorian hospitals and health services, providing a simple and practical decision-making process to help health service staff identify whether items are clinical waste, landfill waste or recyclable.

Learn more >