August 31, 2020
The tightened COVID-19 directions in the South Burnett and Cherbourg – which came into effect at 8:00am on Monday – also mean new restrictions for visitors at hospitals, aged care centres and disability accommodation providers across the region.
More information is available on the Queensland Health website
* * *
Hospitals
The restrictions mean people can only visit someone in hospital if they are:
- The parents, guardians or carers for a patient under the age of 18
- Providing end-of-life support
- A partner and /or support person/s for a patient admitted for care related to their pregnancy
All other patient visitors must receive approval from the operator of a hospital.
The operator of a hospital is the Executive Director or equivalent. This approval will only be given when the operator of the hospital believes it is necessary for the patient to have visitors for emergency or other compassionate grounds (for example the visitor is providing disability support).
* * *
Aged Care Facilities
The new restrictions for aged care facilities include:
Visitors
- No personal visitors, including care and support visitors, are allowed to enter
- Only persons providing an essential purpose will be allowed to enter
- End of life visits will still be allowed
- Anyone entering a facility must wear a single use surgical face mask
Residents
- Cannot leave the residential aged care facility unless they are receiving health care, attending a funeral or for an emergency or for compassionate reasons
- The residential aged care facility or the Chief Health Officer can provide an exemption for leave on compassionate reasons
Staff
- Residential aged care facility operators must make sure staff do not work across multiple facilities as much as possible
- Anyone providing medical care must wear appropriate PPE as outlined in the Australian Guidelines
* * *
Disability Accommodation
The only people who can enter a shared disability accommodation service are:
- Disability accommodation service staff (including administration staff, cleaners, tradesman, gardeners and maintenance)
- Volunteers
- Persons delivering goods and services (including food deliveries)
- Health care workers (including doctors, nurses, allied health and pharmaceutical staff)
- People the operator of a disability accommodation service has granted permission to enter to provide support to a resident
- People providing essential disability support
- People providing social work services
- Emergency workers and police
- A visitor who is providing end-of-life support
- Students under the supervision of an employee or contractor
Disability accommodation service operators must make sure, as much as possible staff do not work across multiple care facilities. Care facilities include, but are not limited to, hospitals, retirement villages and residential aged care facilities.
Anyone entering a restricted shared disability accommodation service must wear a single-use face mask.
A face shield may be worn instead of a face mask in limited situations:
- If wearing a mask will cause distress to a resident
- If the visibility of your mouth is essential for communication with a resident
People who have a temperature of 37.5 degrees or more, or symptoms consistent with COVID-19, cannot enter a disability accommodation service.
Related articles:
