CLOSE CONTACT DIRECTIONS
As you are aware, the rules for close contacts changed on the 6th May.
It is important to keep you up to date on these changes as COVID is infecting clients, staff and the community in general.
Definition of Close Contact as per Tasmanian Public Health
Close contacts are:
- anyone who lives with or stays overnight in the same premises as a case (which is someone who has tested positive for COVID 19 using a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) or Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test
- anyone who has spent more than 4 hours in a residential setting with a confirmed case during their infectious period. The infectious period of a case is two days prior to developing symptoms or two days prior to when they tested positive if they did not have symptoms.
Where a significant transmission event has occurred, Public Health may also consider those who were at the setting or venue to be close contacts.
Rules for close contact:
If you are a close contact you must:
- Immediately have a COVID-19 test once you are aware you are a close contact.
- Test daily with a RAT for 7 days if you are leaving home. If you are not leaving home every day, you must do a second test on day 6
- Isolate and test immediately if you have any symptoms, even mild
- Isolate immediately if you test positive
- Wear a face mask outside your home, when in any indoor space, unless a mask exemption is in place.
- Tell your workplace you are a close contact
- Not attend any high-risk settings such as hospitals, aged care facilities, residential disability settings and correctional facilities, unless you are a critical worker with an exemption.
- Not provide in-home care services for aged or disability clients, unless a critical worker exemption is in place – NWSS would need to apply for this exemption if needed.
- Not attend a support school.
It is also recommended that close contacts:
- Avoid large gatherings and social events where physical distancing is not possible
- Avoid contact with those at risk of severe disease including elderly, immunocompromised and those with chronic conditions
- Maintain all COVID safe behaviours
Thank you for letting us know as soon as you are considered a close contact, so we are able to cover shifts as required.