COVID Update

COVID-19 safety remains a priority

With winter here, more than ever the safety and wellbeing of everyone is our priority.

Here is an update:

• The rate of COVID-19 infection is stable in all our services.
• Support teams continue to follow all guidelines for COVID-19 safety, including using PPE, practising hand hygiene, and increased surface cleaning.
• Support teams are being provided with rapid antigen test kits and encourage them to test at least twice a week before attending work to help further reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

These are just some of the measures we are focused on as we all work to minimise service disruption, stop the spread of COVID-19 and maintain high-quality services across DSA.

Winter doses of COVID-19 vaccination

An additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for adults aged 30 years and older. If you or your family are eligible for the winter dose, we encourage you to book an appointment as soon as possible with your GP, through your local pharmacy or a healthcare provider. Read the full eligibility here.

Support team members can also help participants make this booking. Please ask us.

Residents in supported accommodation who cannot attend a vaccination clinic will be helped to receive it at a DSA location.

It’s important that we know participant’s vaccination status to support them and other participants safely.   

Participants are advised to let us know once they have had their winter dose. All records are kept private and confidential.

NSW Health has revised the COVID-19 reinfection period from 12 weeks down to four weeks effective from today.

NSW Health has advised that people who have previously had COVID-19 should test for COVID-19 after 28 days since their isolation ended if experiencing symptoms and follow the relevant health advice if they test positive. People who test positive again will be reported and managed as new cases.

As we are well into winter, influenza (flu) vaccination is also important. Participants and staff may be able to have the COVID-19 winter dose and flu at the same time. Contact your health care provider for more information.

Testing for COVID-19

Like our support team, participants and their family members are encouraged to test for COVID-19 regularly – even if they do not have symptoms using a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT).  This is especially important before visiting one of our service locations.

Where needed, we can support participants and supported employees with access and using testing kits.  

If a participant, staff or their family member is a Healthcare Cardholder, they can access free testing kits from testing sites and other locations, read more here.

Attending day services 

If a participant tests positive to COVID-19 and normally attends a day service, the participant will be unable to attend the service for your 7 days of isolation. We advise participants to please let us know as soon as possible, and we will do what we can to support the participant while isolating.

Under new government close contact guidelines, close or household contacts are no longer required to isolate for 7 days.

If a participant or their family member/s are a close or household contact, it is important that we work together to consider the risk of the participant attending a day service.

If the participant or their family member/s is considered a close contact, they are advised to please get in touch with the site service manager before attending. This is really important so we can discuss how we can support the participant and continue to provide them and all our participants and staff with services safely.

Attending community activities

We know how important it is for participants to participate in the activities they love to do.

The support team continue to complete regular risk assessments to ensure activities and community visits can happen as safely as possible.

Treating COVID-19

If a participant test positive COVID-19, there are new treatments available for people at an increased risk of illness. This includes people with disability, especially in supported living settings.

If a participant lives in supported independent living with DSA, their team will support them in contacting their GP to discuss access to these treatments if required.    

Thank you

Two years on from the outbreak of COVID-19, we have learnt a lot by working together and supporting each other. 

Thank you for your co-operation and support in helping us all stay safe.