To keep our community as safe as possible from infection, we are constantly monitoring and implementing health authority guidelines.
KEY MESSAGING - PUBLIC
• From 4 March 2024, recommended COVID-19 testing advice for household contacts is changing.
• If you are a household contact of a positive COVID-19 case and you do not have COVID-19 symptoms, you are no longer recommended to test daily with a rapid antigen test (RAT) for 5 days following a positive COVID-19 case in the household.
• If you are a household contact of a positive COVID-19 case and you develop one or more COVID-19 symptoms, you are recommended to stay at home and test for COVID-19 using a RAT.
• If you test negative but your COVID-19 symptoms persist, continue to stay at home and take another RAT test in 24 and 48 hours.
• If at any point you test positive for COVID-19, it is recommended that you isolate for at least 5 days, even if you only have mild symptoms, starting at Day 0.
• This change in advice for household contacts aligns with broader public health guidance that advises RAT testing is generally not recommended when a person does not have any COVID-19 symptoms.
• When a person is symptomatic, the RAT result is more reliable.
SUPPORTING MESSANGING
• Testing for COVID-19 with RATs remains an important tool to help manage the spread of COVID-19, support eligible people to access antiviral medications and help to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on hospital admission rates.
• Anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms is recommended to stay at home and test with a RAT.
• COVID-19 symptoms include: a runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, loss of smell or taste, shortness of breath.
• If you test positive for COVID-19, it is recommended that you isolate for at least 5 days, even if you only have mild symptoms, starting at Day 0.
This includes if you have had COVID-19 before.
visit, phone ahead and remember to wear a mask.
General population
If sick, stay at home, and test using a COVID-19 RAT if you have one available.
If RAT is negative, and COVID-19 symptoms persist, stay at home and repeat RAT in 24 and 48 hours*.
Those that meet the Pharma anti-viral access criteria
If sick, stay at home and
test using a COVID-19 RAT.
If RAT is negative, and COVID-19 symptoms persist, stay at home, and repeat RAT in 24 and 48 hours**and consider a
PCR test where a result can influence treatment options.
High risk facilities/settings****
Test using a RAT.
If RAT is negative, and COVID-19 symptoms persist, repeat RAT in 24 and 48 hours**and consider a
PCR test where a result can influence treatment options***.
(for hospitalised positive PCR cases, refer samples for WGS)
* If RAT is still negative after 24 and 48 hours and symptoms are getting worse or you are concerned, contact a healthcare provider or phone Healthline. If symptoms have resolved, or are mild or improving, you do not need to stay home.
** If RAT is still negative after 24 and 48 hours, healthcare providers should consider if further testing is required or an alternate diagnosis.
*** If PCR - recommend keeping isolated from other residents/patients whilst awaiting test results.
****High risk settings/facilities include Aged Residential Care and hospitals as these types of settings/facilities include groups of people who have frequent, close, or extended contact with others who have the potential for greater exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
Open 6 days a week
We are open on Xmas Day.
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