Information for health professionals

COVID-19 Statistics for our region

• Current NSW hotspot locations, areas of increased testing and public health orders (NSW Health)
• Confirmed cases and tests in the Nepean Blue Mountains region (NSW Health)
• Locally acquired cases and clusters in NSW (NSW Health)
• Confirmed cases by LGA (NSW Health)
• Confirmed COVID-19 cases in NSW by postcode (Service NSW)
• Confirmed cases and tests in NSW (NSW Health)
• Areas of increased testing and surveillance​ (NSW Health)
• COVID-19 surveillance report (NSW Health)

Resources and Guidance 

• Responding to a COVID-19 case in the practice team (RACGP)
• Entering Queensland for essential healthcare (QLD Health)
• Complex Care Patient Information (QLD Health)
• Maridulu Budyari Gumal fact sheets (Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise)
• Guidelines on the rights of people with disability in health and disability care during COVID19 (The Australian Human Rights Commission) 
• The Post-COVID-19 psychosocial intervention in healthcare professionals article
• Patients with Genetic Heart Disease and COVID-19: A Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ)
• Health Professionals National Disability Advisory Service extended until 17 November (Health Direct Australia)
• Latest advice for healthcare professionals:  22 December 2020 (NSW Health)
• Coronavirus information for healthcare professionals (NSW Health)
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources (DoH)
• COVID-19 Frequently asked questions (NSW Health)
• RACF specific information and guidance (NSW Health) 
• Coronavirus resources for healthcare professionals (DoH)
• COVID-19 National Health Plan – Primary Care Package – MBS Telehealth Services and Increased Practice Incentive Payments (DoH)
• Guide to providing telephone and video consultations in general practice (RACGP)
• Vaccination clinics implementation during COVID-19 response (NSW Health)
• Fact Sheet: A Guide for Prescribers for prescribers provides a clear summary of how interim prescribing processes to support telehealth. 
• A Practical Guide to Video Mental Health Consultation (mentalhealthonline)
• COVID-19: Managing Your Mental Health Online During COVID-19 (eMHprac)
• Guidance on return to work requirements for people who have been quarantined (DoH)
• Principles for COVID-19 public transport operations (guidance for passengers) (NSW Gov)
• Mental health resources for GPs  (DR4DRS)
• RACGP fact sheet: Responding to a COVID-19 case in the practice team (RACGP)
• The Impact of COVID-19 on GPs (ANZ Health Sector)
• Management of post-acute COVID-19 in primary care (British Medical Journal)
• Managing patients who present with respiratory symptoms (RACGP)

Clinical Guidelines

• NSW Health Virtual Care CoP guidance on Caring for adults with COVID-19 in the home and quick reference guide.
• The National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce has launched new ‘living guidelines' that will provide the latest, evidence-based recommendations to clinicians caring for patients with COVID-19. 
• COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce: new definition of disease severity for children

Infection Control 

• Appropriate PPE use for COVID-19 (Clinical Excellence Commission)
• Management of COVID-19 in Healthcare Settings  (Clinical Excellence Commission)
• Special precaution for COVID-19 designated zones (Clinical Excellence Commission)
• Principles of Infection Prevention and Control (RACGP)
• Environmental cleaning and disinfection principles for COVID-19 (NSW Health)
• Preventing and Controlling Healthcare-Associated Infection Standard (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare
• Standard and Transmission Based Precautions (including PPE) (Clinical Excellence Commission)
• Infection prevention and control application of PPE during COVID-19 (Clinical Excellence Commission)
• Managing pandemic influenza in the general practice - 3 part document (RACGP):
  • Part 1, A guide for prevention, preparation, response and recovery
  • Part 2, Implementation Guide
  • Part 3, Operational documents

Vaccination Contra-indications Template

Public Health Order 2020 (COVID-19 Residential Aged Care Facilities) has been updated. Key changes include:

• Care and support visits no longer restricted to 2 hours
• Residents can receive more than one care and support visit per day (by max 2 visitors together)
• Those under 16 years can now visit under the same restrictions as other visitors - not only for end-of-life
• Personal care services can resume.

In addition, the letter now states that people with egg allergy (non-anaphylaxis) do not qualify for a medical contraindication exemption from the flu vaccine. Medical Director and Best Practice templates of this new form will be sent next week.

The vaccine is not considered to be ‘available’ to someone if they have a medical contra-indication to having it, but medical evidence is needed to verify that they cannot have the vaccine, such as a letter or medical certificate from their GP.

Information for Disability Support Providers

• How to identify a potential COVID-19 outbreak in a residential facility and what to do next (NSW Health)

National Immunisation Program Vaccination Clinics during COVID-19

NSW Health has provided recommended procedures based on current advice to minimise risk. This advice is to assist you with planning and managing vaccination clinics which is coinciding with the COVID-19 response. Immunisation providers should continue to offer immunisation services with enhanced infection control measures. Therefore you must take all possible steps to reduce the risk of transmission to your staff and clients attending vaccination clinics. Vaccination providers will have to consider their operational process based on staffing, physical layout of venues, fittings and resources.

NAC advice for Spirometry

The National Asthma Council (NAC) has general advice on their website about managing patients with asthma during this time. NAC has also developed a document outlining Spirometry Infection Control Recommendations for Primary Health.

Visit the Australian Asthma Handbook for the latest information and recommendations regarding spirometry testing. Please check the Handbook regularly for updates as the advice may change as more evidence emerges.

Coronavirus National Health Plan

The National Health Plan is a collection of resources for the general public, health professionals and industry outlining a range of funding measures the Australian Government is taking to combat coronavirus (COVID-19). 

• COVID-19 National Health Plan: Summary for GPs (by Dr Michael Crampton)
• COVID-19 National Health Plan: Fact Sheets (Dept of Health)

Vaccination Resources

• TGA AEFI Case Notification Form (TGA)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Aged Care Readiness Toolkit (DoH)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker (DoH)
• COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Monitoring Plan (TGA)
• Clinical Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine in Australia in 2021 (ATAGI/DoH)
• Vaccine Aged Care Stakeholder Kit (DoH)
• HealthPathways COVID-19 Vaccination Pathway
• Vaccination Rollout information posters for your practice (DoH)
• Supporting and understanding delegations in HPOS to enable access to the Australian Immunisation Register (NCIRS)
• COVID-19 Vaccination in NSW: Fact Sheet for NSW Healthcare Workers (DoH)
• Advice on the relative timing of administering influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in 2021(ATAGI/ DoH)
• COVID-19 Vaccines Website (DoH)
• Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Policy (DoH)
• Preliminary advice on general principles to guide the prioritisation of target populations in a COVID-19 vaccination program in Australia (ATAGI/ DoH)
• Australia's Vaccine Agreements (DoH)
• COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Handbook (University of Bristol)