FRIDAY, 3 JULY 2020

 

This week’s changes to COVID restrictions in ESSA’s three-stage recovery plan for COVID-19

The latest state and territory relaxations apply to Queensland (moving to Stage 3) and South Australia (lower density requirements). WA has announced date for Stage 5. NSW has introduced border restrictions and higher upper limits on gatherings.

All these changes are summarised here.

 

Victoria

Accredited Exercise Physiologists working in the listed suburbs need to revert to using ESSA’s guidance for Stage 1 listed here   until at least 29 July, 2020.

All other ESSA members working in the listed suburbs need to stop delivering in-person services in non-essential workplaces (large gyms, fitness centres, health studios and swimming pools and group outdoor classes. You can still operate online.

 

Victorians living in one of the listed suburbs, there are only 4 reasons to leave home:

• Shopping for food and supplies
• Care and caregiving
• Exercise
• Study and work – if you can’t do it from home.

 

Stay at Home restrictions will be in place until at least 29 July, 2020 for members living in the listed suburbs.

Victoria Police can issue on the spot fines of up to $1,652 for individuals and up to $9,913 for businesses. More information here for Victorian members.  

There have been no changes to ESSA’s overview of Australian requirements and recommendations. This document can now be accessed here  in our COVID-19 home page in the Members’ Lounge.

 

Businesses may be asked for a COVID Safe Plan

Whether you are re-opening or have been operational throughout COVID-19, ESSA recommends every business has a COVID Safe Plan. Each state and territory has its own requirements. To save you time, we have developed a fact sheet to help develop or update your plan. Click here to download the Fact Sheet which includes the necessary information from your state and territory government.

 

Boosting Referrals

If you need some extra content to engage potential clients, you might want to consider using the content ESSA generated from the recent Exercise Right week. More details here.

 

State News

NSW

COVID-19 Recovery Grants - applications now open  

If your small business or not-for-profit organisation has experienced a decline in turnover as a result of COVID-19, you may be eligible for a small business recovery grant of between $500 and $3000. Applications close 16 August 2020. Read more here.

Business Premises - Inspections

Reminder - NSW Health Public Health Inspectors are conducting random inspections of non-essential businesses, including gyms across NSW. Your exercise physiology clinic may also be inspected. Please prepare a COVID Safe Plan if you have not done so already.

QLD

COVID-19 Submission

ESSA is lodging a submission to the Inquiry into the Queensland Government’s Health Response to COVID-19 today. More details will be available on the submission next week.

Resources

For Business Owners: Making some changes to your team?

ESSA has updated fact sheets on understanding casual employment AND variations to part-time hours. Log in to the ESSA Business Network (EBN) Human Resources page here.

 

Redundancy

DLA Piper a global law firm, has published a series of articles on redundancy:

• understanding a genuine redundancy and
• consultation.

Aged Care Update from the Department of Health

 
• Resources
• Victorian residential aged care services - COVID-19 ‘Are you alert and ready?’
• Victorian home care service providers - COVID-19 ‘Are you alert and ready?’
• First 24 Hours of an outbreak in a residential facility
• Workforce FAQs

New Zealand Guidance on COVID-19 Rehabilitation

Allied Health Aotearoa New Zealand (AHANZ) has  shared with Allied Health Professions Australia the NZ Ministry of Health's recently released Guidance for the rehabilitation of people with or recovering from COVID-19 in Aotearoa NZ.  

Research

COVID-19 Planning

Researchers have called for planning for the COVID-19 aftermath to manage the aftershocks:

“Australia needs to plan now, not just for survivors in the initial post- acute stage, but also to manage individuals affected in subsequent waves. Such patients may require rehabilitation, along with those, fearful of infection, who present to hospital late with non-COVID-19 conditions like stroke, and those with deteriorating chronic diseases who have not had access to hospital based services.”

Faux, S. G., Eagar, K., Cameron, I. D., & Poulos, C. J. (2020). COVID-19: planning for the aftermath to manage the aftershocks. The Medical journal of Australia, 10.5694/mja2.50685. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.50685

Department of Health (DoH) COVID-19 Primary Care and Allied Health Webinar

Please check here to confirm the date and time for next week’s webinar.