30 July 2021
COVID-19 vaccinations – second dose for those who attended the onsite clinic
Please note that this clinic will be held on 4 and 5 August. Your appointment will be for the same day and time as your last one. For example, this means that if you attended the last clinic on a Wednesday, you should attend the next clinic on the Wednesday at the same time.
Evidence of COVID vaccination
If you have not yet had your COVID-19 vaccination, please consider having it as soon as possible. There is only around 7 weeks until the deadline for all residential aged care workers to have had at least their first dose of the vaccine. If you have had your vaccine, please ensure that you send evidence of having the vaccine as soon as possible to ep.vaccinations@whiddon.com.au.
Please note that there will be a weekly draw to win a $100 voucher. This will be for all staff who have already provided evidence of having a COVID-19 vaccine. We will continue to hold the weekly draw for the next 7 weeks, you have to have provided evidence of your vaccine to win a prize!
COVID-19 precautions – PPE and Raines House
From time-to-time, we may need to isolate residents if there has been any potential risk of exposure to COVID-19. Raines House has been used to isolate residents, for example, if they have returned from hospital and there is a potential exposure. We have had no cases of COVID-19 at Whiddon and this is implemented as a precaution, along with employees wearing full PPE at times should a potential risk be identified.
Close and Casual Contacts
With the increasing numbers of cases in the community we are seeing an increase in the numbers of employees who are being deemed as close and casual contacts. We thank staff for their cooperation and honesty in notifying us when they have been deemed either a close or casual contact. This information is essential to help us protect other employees and residents. If you have been identified as a close or casual contact and inform us of this exposure, you will not be in any trouble and your job will be safe. However, any employee who deliberately withholds information will face disciplinary action.
To date, we have had no positive cases of Covid-19 on site.
Rapid Antigen Testing
For the time being while community transmission of Covid-19 remains high, we will continue the Rapid Antigen Testing. As a reminder this testing is not mandatory, however reporting to the testing station and completing the decline to consent form is mandatory.
Staff living in affected LGA’s will continue to have the formal PCR Testing every 72 hours as per the Public Health Directive. As a reminder, this formal testing can be done on site to save you the time and inconvenience of attending a testing centre.
Thank you for all that you are doing in keeping both yourselves, each other and the residents safe.