22 July 2021

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Seven-day lockdown in Orange, Blayney and Cabonne​

The NSW local council areas of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne have entered a seven-day lockdown that began at 12.01am AEST on Wednesday 21 July 2021.

Key points

• The local council areas of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne have entered a seven-day lockdown that began at 12.01am AEST on Wednesday 21 July 2021.
• Disability support workers are classified as essential workers and may leave home to support people with disability.
• Disability workers are strongly encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
• NDIS providers should review their outbreak management and business continuity plans and take steps to prevent the risk of infection of NDIS participants and workers.
• Notify the NDIS Commission of any significant changes to services or supports as a result of the new restrictions.

Seven-day lockdown for Orange, Blayney and Cabonne

The New South Wales Government has imposed a seven-day lockdown on the Orange City Council, Blayney Shire Council and Cabonne Shire Council areas, that began at 12.01am AEST on Wednesday 21 July 2021. Masks must be worn indoors and in outdoor settings where you cannot socially distance from others.

We encourage you to read the full details on the NSW Government website.

Please ensure that you, your workers and the people with disability that you support understand what these changes are, and how they affect the supports and services you deliver.

Stay updated and follow official guidance and health directions to minimise the risk of COVID-19 infection while continuing to provide the supports and services people with disability rely on for their safety, health and wellbeing.

Disability workers are essential workers

Disability workers are classified as essential workers under these restrictions.

Advice for residential disability accommodation in Orange, Blayney and Cabonne

In residential disability accommodation in Orange, Blayney and Cabonne council areas, residents are allowed one visitor to provide essential caring functions. 

All staff and essential care visitors must wear a surgical mask. For reasons when masks can be removed, please see the additional advice. All essential visits must be in the resident’s room.

Ensure that residents are provided with appropriate PPE and infection control advice if they need to leave the facility for essential purposes.

Further guidance for residential disability accommodation is available on the NSW Health website.

Vaccination advice for disability workers

The Australian Government Department of Health (Department of Health) issued a Disability Provider Alert on 12 July 2021, containing important information about the continued rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.

National Cabinet strongly encourages all disability workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19, to protect your own health and the health of the people with disability you support.

We encourage you to read the full details on the Department of Health website.

Outbreak preparedness

For guidance on preventing and managing COVID-19 outbreaks in disability residential settings, please refer to the Communicable Diseases Network Australia’s (CDNA) disability supplement.

Additionally, the NDIS Commission’s fact sheet on outbreak preparedness provides information on preparing for, preventing and managing an outbreak in disability settings. 

You should:

• review and update your emergency plans, including arrangements to ensure that you meet your obligations to maintain continuity of support to NDIS participants
• ensure all workers have been trained and have had refreshers on infection control and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• ensure you have adequate PPE stock in the event of a confirmed or suspected infection
• minimise staff working across multiple sites
• regularly communicate changes to services and supports to NDIS participants and their support networks
• ensure all your staff are familiar with and practice sound infection control, physical distancing and hygiene practices
• provide support to people with disability to have permissible community access for essential supports (such as exercising, essential shopping, accessing the vaccine, or attending medical appointments).

Notification of changes or events

You must notify the NDIS Commission of any change or event that significantly affects your ability to comply with any of your conditions of registration, including compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards. You must use the COVID-19 notification of events form  to report these changes.

Your requirements to notify the NDIS Commission of reportable incidents under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018 are separate from the COVID-19 notification of changes or events and remain unchanged.  

NDIS Commission COVID-19 information and resources

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) information webpage on the NDIS Commission website contains links to updates, training, alerts and other resources.

We also have a COVID-19 webpage containing information for people with disability, and a webpage of frequently asked questions about COVID-19 for all stakeholders.

Contact us

Call: 1800 035 544 (free call from landlines). Our contact centre is open 9.00am to 5.00pm (9.00am to 4.30pm in the NT), Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.

Email: contactcentre@ndiscommission.gov.au

Website: www.ndiscommission.gov.au