The healthcare worker contact assessment and management guidance contains an exposure event risk matrix to guide contact management (furlough) in COVID-19 outbreaks in GP Clinics and a recommended contact management action table.
The guidance should be considered in the context of overall outbreak management by the Department of Health via Local Public Health Units (LPHU) and is intended exclusively for decision-making about the potential quarantine and return to work of staff. This is informed by a risk-based approach.
The guidance is intended exclusively for decision-making about the potential furlough of healthcare workers working in General Practice Clinics.
The guidance may be applied to situations where a healthcare worker has (i) been exposed in a clinical setting, or (ii) become a close contact due to a community-based exposure.
This risk-based approach to contact management in critical industry outbreaks is one of several tools we can use to keep workplaces safe along with COVIDSafe plans and practices, getting tested when symptomatic and COVID-19 vaccination when eligible.
While any decision to quarantine staff is made by the Chief Health Officer or delegates including LPHUs, health services and their governing agencies are best placed to assess the operational risk that such a decision may present.
The guidance provided in the document provides a basis to guide contact management. The department and/or LPHUs in consultation with businesses will need to make context-specific decisions and may tailor actions to best respond to the specific outbreak.
The guidance is not to be used to determine suitable PPE for health care settings, for this refer to specific PPE guidance from the Department of Health.