Dear
Re: Update on Victoria's Covid-19 pandemic orders
I am writing to you to provide an update on the upcoming changes to Victoria’s pandemic orders, which was announced by the Victorian Government as part of the state’s ongoing management of the COVID-19 pandemic and will come into effect from 11:59pm Friday, 24 June 2022.
Key changes to Victoria’s pandemic orders includes the following:
- A person who has tested positive to COVID-19 must still
isolate for seven days from the day they took their test, but may now leave home to drive a household member directly to or from education or work without leaving their vehicle. They can also leave home to get medical care, a COVID-19 test, or in an emergency, including the risk of harm
- Visitor caps to care facilities, including residential aged care and disability care are removed, with residents able to see any number of people as long as they test negative on a rapid antigen test that day
Under the upcoming
changes to Victoria’s pandemic orders, the following requirements will continue to remain in place for workers in residential aged care, disability care and health care settings, as follows:
Vaccination requirements
- Workers in residential aged care, disability care and health care settings who interact with vulnerable people are still required to have three COVID-19 vaccine doses in order to work in
a health setting
- Health setting includes health clinics where health appointments are delivered by allied health professionals
- Health care workers include volunteers and students who perform work at a health setting
Refer to the VIC Government’s Worker vaccination requirements page for more information.
Face mask requirements
- Wearing a face mask is still required in the following settings:
- When working in an indoor space that is a publicly accessible area of a health care facility, including at an allied health facility
- When working in a resident-facing role in an indoor space at a care facility, including when not interacting with residents
- While visiting a hospital, care facility or any other indoor space that is a publicly accessible area in a health care setting,
including allied health settings
Exceptions for not wearing a face mask
A face mask is not mandatory in the following situations, including:
- For people who have a physical or mental health condition, or disability, which
makes wearing a face covering unsuitable, including people with obstructed breathing, a serious skin condition of the face, an intellectual disability, a mental health condition or people who have experienced trauma
- For people communicating with those who are deaf or hard of hearing and visibility of the mouth is essential for communication
- For people for whom the nature of their work or education means that wearing a face mask creates a risk to health and safety
- A person is working by themselves in an enclosed indoor space such as in an empty classroom unless or until another person enters that space
A full list of exceptions for not wearing a face mask is available here.
Please stay safe and if there’s anything we can do to assist you during this time, please don’t hesitate to contact the office on 03 9940 3900 or email info@audiology.asn.au.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Tony
Coles
CEO