Dear All,
With the increasing volume of patients being admitted to hospitals across Victoria, there is a requirement for Western Health to again increase our capacity to support patients being admitted with Covid-19.
We would also like to reiterate the current mask requirements to ensure we are keeping ourselves, our patients and visitors safe through this period.
INCREASING COVID WARD CAPACITY
Sunshine Hospital:
Ward 3F at Sunshine will continue to be the primary ward to support patients admitted with Covid 19. In the event ward 3F is admitted to capacity, ward 1A will commence admitting patients either suspected or positively tested for Covid 19.
Footscray Hospital:
Ward 2D at Footscray will continue to be the primary ward a to support patients admitted with Covid 19. In the event ward 2D is admitted to capacity, ward 2C will commence admitting patients either suspected or positively tested for Covid 19.
We would like to thank all staff for their hard work over the past 24 hours to ensure these wards are operationally ready to support the care of patients admitted with Covid 19.
COVID PRECAUTIONS
Further to information sent in Wednesday’s Operation Bulletin, with increasing case numbers in hospitals and the community and with the sub-lineages BA.4 and BA.5 now the dominant strains, we want to reinforce the measures we have in place to protect ourselves and each other from COVID and Influenza:
1. Mask mandates continue, with N95 masks being compulsory in clinical areas and surgical masks being mandatory in shared non-clinical areas. Staff who are required to wear a N95 mask in their role should continue to wear one even in non-clinical areas, in meetings and shared office spaces.
2. Don’t come to work if you have COVID-19 or flu symptoms.
3. Avoid face-to-face meetings whenever possible. If face-to-face meetings are required, wear masks at all times, avoid eating and drinking in meetings and reconsider the number of people who need to be in the room. Information on COVID-safe education, training and research can be found here.
4. Socially distance from each other whenever possible.
5. When not at work, the Chief Health Officer recommends you wear masks at indoor venues and when it’s not possible to socially distance.
Jason Plant, Acting Executive Director Operations