Covid-19 policy

About this document

COVID-19 (also known as Coronavirus) has spread quickly around the world.

When an illness spreads around the word and affects many people, it is called a pandemic.

This document will help you understand COVID-19 and how we will help you during this COVID-19 pandemic.

This document should be read together with the Infection Control easy read document.

What is COVID-19?

A virus is an illness that is spread quickly from one person to another.

COVID-19 is a virus and it can spread:

by touching people that have COVID-19
when people with COVID-19 cough or sneeze
by touching any objects that have the COVID-19 virus on them.

What are the signs of COVID-19?

The most common signs of COVID-19 are:

a fever
a dry cough
tiredness
feeling that it is hard to breathe.

A person with COVID-19 might have other, less common signs. Some less common signs of COVID-19 are:

pain in any part of the body
sore throat
loss of taste and/or smell
rashes

Signs of COVID-19 might feel a lot like a cold or a flu.

The only way to know for sure if you have COVID-19 or not is to do a test.

If you think you might have COVID-19 please let us know.

What can you do to stop the spread of COVID-19?

We will help you lower the risk of catching COVID-19.

We will have infection control measures in place at all times (please read our Infection Control easy read for more information).

You can help stop the spread of COVID-19 by:

cleaning your hands often with soap and water or hand sanitiser
covering your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (for more information see the section on cough etiquette in the Infection Control easy read
not touching your face
staying home if you feel sick
staying 1.5m apart from people around you, this is called social distancing.

You and our workers might be required to wear a mask.

If you feel uncomfortable with wearing a mask please let us know. We are here to help.

COVID-19 tests

You might need to get a COVID-19 test if:

you were in the same place as someone with COVID-19
you have some signs of COVID-19
you were close to someone that has or might have COVID-19.

The test will be done by a health professional (e.g. a doctor).

The health professional will put a small white rod into your nose or throat. Then, they will quickly pull it out again.

In one or two days, we will get the test results.

The test results will show if you have COVID-19 or not.

Lockdown

If there are many cases of COVID-19 nearby, we might need to go into lockdown.

Lockdown means that:

you have to stay home as much as possible
there might be some places where you cannot go
many places, such as cafes, might be closed

Lockdowns happen to stop everyone from catching COVID-19.

Everyone has to follow the rules of a lockdown.

This means that there may be times when you cannot do some of the things that you usually like to do, such as visit friends.

We will always explain the rules of a lockdown to you. We will tell you:

why the lockdown is happening
how long the lockdown is likely to last
where you are and are not allowed to go

Even if there is a lockdown you will still get all the help that you need.

As much as possible, we will also help you to do things that you enjoy at home.

Isolation

Isolation means not leaving your home except in an emergency or to get medical care.

You might have to go into isolation if you have COVID-19.

You might also have to go into isolation if you:

were near someone with COVID-19
returned from a state/country where there are many cases of COVID-19
are experiencing signs of COVID-19.

If you have to go into isolation we will always explain what will be happening.

If you are in isolation we will help to make sure that:

you still get all the help that you need
you are isolated in a place that is clean and comfortable
you keep in contact with your family and friends (by using the internet and/or telephone)
you are able to let us know about how you are feeling
you can still do things that you enjoy.

We understand that isolation can be stressful and make you feel sad.

Please let us know if you feel sad about anything. We are here to help.

Getting more information

If you need more questions about COVID-19 please let us know.

We will always give you the information you need.

You can also get more information from the NDIS.

calling 1800 800 110
sending an email to enquiries@ndis.gov.au
sending a message using the online webchat feature.

If you need any help with contacting the NDIS, please let us know.

Source: NDIS.GOV.AU