27 June 2021

Coronavirus (COVID-19): NSW lockdown - monitor local public health directions

The NSW Government has issued public health directions that affect providers in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Wollongong, Shellharbour and the Central Coast of NSW, including those delivering supports in disability accommodations settings. Providers in all other states and territories are reminded to monitor local information and take all necessary measures to comply with relevant public health directions. 

Key points

• NSW is entering a two week lockdown across Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Wollongong, Shellharbour, and the Central Coast, from 6pm, 26 June 2021. This follows stay-at-home orders put in place from 11.59pm, 25 June 2021 for the Local Government Areas of Waverley, Woollahra, Randwick and the City of Sydney.
• NDIS providers should deploy their outbreak management and business continuity plans and take steps to comply with public health orders and minimise 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.
• Monitor local information and ensure you and your workers comply with relevant public health guidelines when delivering NDIS supports and services.
• It is vital to undertake detailed planning for a potential COVID-19 outbreak and ensure that you are well prepared.

Updated health guidance for disability providers - NSW

The NSW Department of Health issued information to disability providers on 25 June 2021 and 26 June 2021.

NSW Health directions for accommodation providers require you to, amongst other things:

• exclude all visitors except those providing essential caring functions
• ensure all staff and essential care visitors wear a mask
• ensure that all residents are provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection control advice if they leave the residence, for any of the allowable reasons.

You should assist the people you support to undertake exercise outside the residence, as allowable under the directions.

All other disability providers must continue to provide critical supports to people who require them, using PPE and in accordance with infection control practices.

If you support people with disability who live alone, make contact with them to ensure they have everything they need to stay at home safely. Offer assistance if they need it.

Our fact sheet on COVID-19 outbreak preparedness, prevention and management can assist you to meet your risk management and other obligations.

Monitor local information

All NDIS providers should monitor local information and take all measures necessary to comply with relevant public health directions when providing NDIS support and services.

Below are links to state and territory government heath websites:

Australian Capital Territory

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Victoria

Western Australia

Planning and preparedness

Continue to monitor high-risk locations that your workers, or the people you support, may have visited, and ensure that your emergency planning is up-to-date.

If you, or any of your workers, or people you support, have any symptoms of COVID-19, they should arrange for testing and isolate at home while waiting for the results.

It remains crucial for you to be alert to the continued risks of COVID-19 in the community, including by: 

• keeping emergency contacts up-to-date
• ensuring rostering of workers takes into account responsibilities for an emergency outbreak response, if required
• implementing mechanisms for keeping informed of changes to local outbreaks and hotspots and adjusting risk assessments accordingly.

It is vital to plan how you would deal with a situation in which the NDIS participants you support and/or your workers were infected. You should ensure your workers have:

• completed Department of Health infection control training
• reviewed the information on the Department of Health website about providing disability support services during COVID-19
• completed the Worker Orientation Module, which explains the obligations of workers under the NDIS Code of Conduct.

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. Please use the COVID-19 notification of events form  to report these changes. This enables us to monitor changes in the NDIS market and to connect you with any supports you might need.

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 COVID-19 vaccine information webpage on our website contains links to updates about COVID-19 vaccines and resources for NDIS providers.

We also have a COVID-19 vaccine webpage containing information for people with disability.

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