We understand during festive seasons, everybody wants to have good celebrations and spending times with family with home leaves. While ECH is very supportive of our residents and staff enjoying the festive seasons, we seek for your attention of the highly transmittable Omicron variant of Covid 19 by excising highest infection control practices when in the community for the wellness of our elders. At this stage, there is no change with the Covid 19 precautions as directed by DHHS as per memo issued on 11/11/2021 “Supporting safe visits to residential aged care facilities”.

ECH is seeking all residents, families, visitors and staff to:

• Consent and receive Covid 19 booster dose as recommended by DHHS
• ECH is in the process to liaise with North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network for In reach clinics for residents and staff, please support ECH to ensure the consents are ready.
• Alternatively, attend any GP, Pharmacy and vaccination centres ASAP if you able to do so for the maximum protection with increase in activities in the community during festive seasons.
• Wear a mask if required, hand hygiene and maintain social distancing AT ALL TIMES when in the community.

In Victoria, as per State Governments restrictions applied to Visiting care facilities as follows:

• Each resident in a care facility is permitted up to five visitors per day, including dependants.
• Visitors must sign a declaration upon entry to state that they have not been in contact with a confirmed case in the past 7 days if fully vaccinated and if not a household contact, or the last 14 days if not fully vaccinated or if a household contact (ECH is using EntryTrakr for the purposes).
• You must wear a mask and ECH supplies surgical masks.
• It is strongly recommended that all residents and visitors should be fully vaccinated.

You must not visit ECH if you:

• tested positive to COVID-19 • are a household contact • have COVID-19 symptoms
• have had a COVID-19 test because they have symptoms or have attended an exposure site and are waiting for the result
• are required to isolate or quarantine • are an overseas traveller or an international aircrew service worker who just arrived in Victoria.
• These measures reflect the advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee about the importance of visits for the health and wellbeing of aged care residents and the need for restrictions in aged care to be eased even with Omicron variants.

Further measures to support safe visits at ECH:

• Screening process include Victorian QR code and ECH EntryTrakr system
• Practice social distancing where possible and appropriate
• Wear the same personal protective equipment (surgical mask) that staff are required to wear when caring for a resident
• Visitors are strongly recommended but not mandatory required to be vaccinated
• Where visitors are not fully vaccinated, all visits should occur either outdoors or in the resident’s own room(s). Unvaccinated visitors should not remain in common areas
• ECH screen all visitors unable to provide negative Covid test results via rapid antigen testing • Please be patient with the waiting times for the RAT results and any precaution measures as instructed by DHHS.
• We seek your understanding and supports to make ECH a harassment free working environment for our staff.

Kindly share this update with other family members who may wish to be kept informed.

Let’s keep safe and enjoy the festive seasons.