Given a number of additional cases have emerged from the Royal Melbourne Hospital COVID outbreak, advice to staff has now changed in response to the evolving risk.
I would like to acknowledge and thank the more than 100 staff who have provided the COVID Staff Enquiries Helpdesk with information about their attendance at RMH in relation to Level 6. Through this process, we have been able to act quickly to identify staff who may be affected by the changing areas of risk. To ensure we can continue to respond quickly and keep our patients, staff and visitors safe, we request your attention and prompt action in relation to the advice below:
ROYAL MELBOURNE HOSPITAL – 6th & 7th floors:
In addition to advice sent out to staff earlier this week highlighting risk associated with the 6th Floor of Royal Melbourne Hospital city campus, advice is now extended to include all staff who attended the 7th Floor of the Royal Melbourne Hospital city campus on or since August 12 OR staff who live with a person who attended the 7th floor (or are an intimate partner or in a single bubble). These staff should NOT attend work and take the following action:
- Get tested and isolate. Testing is available through the Sunshine Hospital COVID Testing Clinic open from 9am-5.30pm daily
- Contact your line manager providing: your name, phone number, dates you attended Royal Melbourne Hospital and specific areas you have attended, type of PPE worn (eg N95 or surgical mask or no mask, type of eye protection, if any, and whether this was removed when in clinical areas). Please also include details of when PPE may have been removed, including use of tearoom (dates/time/location) or time smoking in the vicinity of others.
- Do not return to work until you have received confirmation you can return from a Western Health Infection Prevention Team staff member or the Western Health COVID Staff Enquiries helpdesk.
All staff (clinical and non-clinical) who have attended any other areas of the Royal Melbourne Hospital City Campus on or since August 12 OR who live with a person who attended any other areas of the Royal Melbourne Hospital (or are an intimate partner or single bubble) and are not currently furloughed you are able to continue to work. Take the following actions:
- Get tested even if you are well. Asymptomatic testing is available at the Sunshine Hospital COVID Testing Clinic, open from 7am-5.30pm daily or Footscray Hospital Private Consulting Rooms from 7.30am-4pm.
- Contact your line manager providing your name, phone number, dates you attended Royal Melbourne Hospital and specific areas you have attended, type of PPE worn (e.g. N95 or surgical mask or no mask, type of eye protection (if any) and whether this was removed when in clinical areas). Please also include details of when PPE may have been removed including use of tearoom (dates/ time/location) or time smoking in the vicinity of others.
- Enter the WH surveillance testing program. Details of the surveillance testing program can be found here. Staff must continue on the surveillance testing program for 14 days since your last exposure or further notice if you continue to work at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
- Continue to work wearing an N95 mask and eye protection.
Managers are requested to collate lists of staff (download this template) and send these to COVID staff enquiries helpdesk on whscovid-19staffclinicenquiries@wh.org.au. Questions on the process can also be directed to COVIDD staff enquiries helpdesk.
Thanks for reading.
Natasha