Covid-19 isolation requirements have changed
The Victorian Government has announced the end of the Pandemic Declaration and associated Pandemic Orders.
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services remain responsible for the health, safety and wellbeing of all children in their services. Services should continue to apply their COVIDSafe practices and policies and take reasonable steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within their service.
The following settings, based on advice from the Department of Health, will apply from 11.59pm Wednesday 12 October 2022.
It is strongly recommended that children:
- who test positive to COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for 5 days
- should not attend ECEC services after 5 days if still symptomatic
- who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend ECEC services.
Parents and carers should advise the service of the child’s COVID-19 positive test result.
Where children become symptomatic at an ECEC service they should:
- be collected by their parents or carers
- undergo testing for COVID-19.
It is strongly recommended that staff:
- who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days
- should not attend after 5 days if still symptomatic
- who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend the service
- advise their service of the positive test.
Covid-19 reporting requirements
The Department of Health recommends that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 should inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, ECEC service or school, and household.
In line with the approach to other infectious diseases in early childhood services, if COVID-19 is identified, the service should continue to notify parents or an authorised emergency contact of children at the service (or family day care (FDC) residence or venue of the occurrence) as soon as practicable.
In addition, services are recommended to display a notice stating that there has been a positive case of COVID-19 at the service premises, FDC residence or approved venue.
Services should now notify the department through the National Quality Agenda IT System (NQAITS) only if there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in the service (5 or more cases within a 7-day period) or if the service is to be closed.
Face Masks
The Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 when leaving home.
Additionally, the Department of Health recommends that masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19, for at least 7 days after a positive test, when they need to leave home.
The ECEC COVIDSafe Setting Guide and web pages reflecting these changes will be updated in the coming days.
Covid Safe Plan - Family Day Care Educators
To help prevent the introduction of coronavirus (COVID-19) to my workplace I will.
- Locate my parent sign in sign out station on the front porch to prevent families from entering the site.
- Wherever possible doors and windows will be open (or a mechanical ventilator will be used) for maximum ventilation
- Where possible learning will be relocated to an outdoor environment to facilitate ventilation.
- High touch surfaces like pens, paper, door handles and documents will be sanitised with alcohol wipes regularly.
- Parents will be restricted from entering the site unless a child is new and transitioning or distressed and requires comfort.
- All adults that enter the site will be required to wear a mask, remove shoes and wash hands with soapy water.
- All children will be required to remove shoes and wash hands upon arrival
- All adult visitors to the workplace will wear a face mask.
- All surfaces will be cleaned regularly.
- Children will use own drink bottles and not share cups
- Children will not share food and drinks
- Children will wash hands with soapy water between activities
- Children will maintain separate bed linen
- All visitors who attend will be recorded in visitor book for contact tracing
The level of face-covering or personal protective equipment (PPE) required for your workforce is outlined below:
- Educators are not required to wear a face mask whilst providing education and care services
- All adult visitors to the home should wear a face mask, remove shoes and hand sanitise.
How you will prepare for, and respond to, a suspected or confirmed case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in your workplace
- All children who have mild symptoms of being unwell (such as fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or a runny nose) will be provided with RAT tests and required to return a negative test prior to attending.
- Close contacts will need 5 negative tests over a 7-day period to attend a service.
- Families will report any known cases or close contacts of known cases to their educator
- Educators will inform Ignite Minds immediately if any of the enrolled children or families are confirmed cases or close contacts of confirmed cases of COVID19
- Educators will inform Ignite Minds immediately if any household members, or assistants or volunteers household members become confirmed cases or close contact of confirmed cases of COVID19
All confirmed cases will be reported to the Department of education and Department of Health and Human Services
Sourced : https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/early-childhood-education-and-care