Planning and preparedness tools
- Surveillance testing of healthcare workers - Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Word) - this guidance is targeted towards all health services providing care to confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) patients and High Risk suspected coronavirus (COVID-19) patients and reflects current patient care principles.
- COVID-19 Hospital Preparedness Assessment Tool (Word) - this checklist has been developed to support Victorian hospitals (metropolitan, rural and private) to plan their response to coronavirus (COVID-19) and is based on and should be read in conjunction with your business continuity plans and pandemic plans.
- COVID-19 Hospital Preparedness Scenario Testing Tool (Word) - this document is designed to be used to test Victorian health services pandemic preparedness plans for the management of coronavirus (COVID-19) through presenting two realistic and challenging scenarios for health services to work through.
- Emergency food supply for health and community services - 14 April 2020 (Word) - this document explains how the department is supplying cooked meals to public and private health services, aged care facilities, meals-on-wheels services, home care and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services.
- Student Clinical Placements Guidance (Word) - this guidance has been updated to reflect the current COVID risk ratings in place across Victoria (for both Metropolitan Melbourne and Regional Victoria).
- Victorian health service guidance and response to COVID-19 risks
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Disposing clinical waste (PDF) - this fact sheet explains how to manage clinical waste from coronavirus (COVID-19), and arrange for collections in various workplace settings.
- The COVID-19 Best practice approaches for safe staff amenities for health services (Word) - best practice approach is designed to guide health services in the development of safe staff communal spaces (including handover areas) which go beyond the minimum physical distancing standards.
- The Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Fact sheet for healthcare workers and students relocating from interstate (Word) - provides guidance for healthcare workers and students travelling to Victoria for work or clinical placements.
- Medical Specialist College Exam guidance (Word) - this guidance has been updated to reflect the examination advice for all COVID risk ratings.
Physical distancing in the workplace and with colleagues
How can we best implement physical distancing in the consultation setting, including practices with small consultation rooms?
Physical distancing is to be practised within clinics and wards, between staff and patients, and between staff and staff. This includes:
- Waiting room chairs separated by at least 1.5 metres.
- Direct interactions between staff conducted at a distance.
- Staff and patients to remain at least 1.5 metres apart with the exception of clinical examinations and procedures.
- Use droplet and contact precautions (gown, gloves, eye protection and single-use face mask) when assessing a patient with respiratory symptoms in a community setting, see Advice for clinicians within the Coronavirus: Case and contact management guidelines for health services and general practitioners (Word)
Restrictions on visitors to health services
Visitor restrictions are in place to help reduce limit the spread of COVID-19 into health services by people who may pose a risk and do not have an important reason to be there.
Information about current restrictions on visitors to health services as per public health Directions can be found at visiting hospitals.
Visitors are asked to fill in pre-attendance screening based on clinical and epidemiological factors, such as whether they are:
- awaiting a COVID-19 test result
- unwell with symptoms of COVID-19, such as a cough, sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath, fever or loss or change in sense of smell or taste.
- presenting with a temperature higher than 37.5 degrees
- newly arrived in Australia (within the last 14 days)
- awaiting clearance from isolation having been diagnosed with COVID-19
- within 14 days of being exposed to COVID-19 (for example, contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 or at a Tier 1 exposure site).
Further resources
Reviewed 22 November 2021