COVID-19 Update

Dear Members,

As many of our members are now being exposed to COVID within the community this is a friendly reminder and update on the current advise issued by the department of health for the safety of our Members, staff and community.

As per the current mandate, any person who tests positive to COVID-19 must self quarantine at home for 7 days and report the positive test to the department of health.

Who is a close contact?

A close contact is:

• a household member or intimate partner of a person with COVID-19 who has had contact with them during their infectious period,
• someone who has had close personal interaction with a person with COVID-19 during their infectious period, where they spent 4 hours of cumulative contact with them in a residential setting (including a home, residential care facility, boarding school, maritime vessel or other accommodation facility) in any 24-hour period where masks have been removed by both people during the period of contact
• someone who is informed by WA Health that they are a close contact.

Close contacts with symptoms

• Close contacts with symptoms must continue to isolate until symptoms resolve and get tested as per existing protocols.
• Once symptoms have resolved, close contacts who are not cases should follow the protocols for close contacts with no symptoms (see below) for the balance of the 7-day isolation period.
• If a close contact tests positive, they must isolate for 7 days after their positive test result and follow the requirements for positive COVID-19 cases.

Close contacts with no symptoms

• Close contacts with no symptoms may leave the home during their 7 day isolation period, provided that you have obtained a negative result from a rapid antigen test undertaken on each day on which you propose to leave isolation. You must:
  • be able to provide photographic evidence of a negative result from a rapid antigen test taken by you on that day
  • wear a mask including from when you leave home until you return
  • avoid high-risk settings, including hospitals, healthcare settings, disability and aged care facilities, and correctional facilities
  • avoid non-essential gatherings and contact with people at risk of severe illness
  • work from home, where possible.