A Confirmed Case in the Workplace: A Guideline for Victorian Businesses

New isolation rules have been announced by the Victorian Government for Phase D of the National Plan and Victoria's Roadmap: 90% fully vaccinated.

As the NEW isolation rules have changed significantly, ABIC has created a simple guideline for businesses to follow when they have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the workplace.

What is a CONFIRMED CASE in the workplace?

A confirmed case in the workplace is an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.

This individual could be one of the following:

1. Staff member/employee
2. Sub-contractor
3. Employer or Business Owner
4. Client

If an Employer has been notified of a confirmed case, it is the Employer's responsibility to identify which of their employees/staff and/or sub-contractors were exposed and are considered low-risk or close contacts.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Employers are NOT required to notify clients/customers.

 Who is a low-risk or close contact?

Employers/Businesses will now use a NEW risk-based approach to manage contacts of confirmed cases. The new approach classifies workplace contacts along a risk scale (low risk vs. close contact), that includes the duration of the contact, mask wearing, and their vaccination status. Isolation and testing requirements for contacts reflect their level of exposure risk.

Please use the following Contact assessment and management guidance: workplaces, business and industry_V2_18 November 2021 for new risk-based approach.

Notify low-risk employees/staff/sub-contractors

The following requirements must be followed by employees/staff/sub-contractors who are considered Low Risk (and Extremely Low Risk) under the NEW risk-based approach:

Monitor for symptoms and get PCR tested if they have symptoms, however mild.

Example of a text/email notification to low risk employees/staff/sub-contractors

Notify workplace contact employees/staff/sub-contractors

The following requirements must be followed by employees/staff/sub-contractors who are considered workplace close contacts under the NEW risk-based approach:

1.  Get tested and isolate until negative

• Your workplace has informed you that you are a workplace close contact.
• This means you spent time with the confirmed case while they were infectious with COVID-19 at work - and you may now have the virus.
• You are required to isolate, get a standard (PCR) test at a testing centre for COVID-19 within 24 hours, and stay isolated until you get a negative result.
• You will have to show your workplace evidence of your negative test before returning to work.

If you test negative:

• Resume your normal activities outside work.
• Show your negative test result to your workplace before returning to work.
• Keep monitoring for symptoms and get tested again if any develop.
• For the seven days following your exposure to the case, you are also recommended to use rapid antigen self-tests before entering certain locations. These are available for you at a testing centre, free of charge.

 If you test positive: 

• you are a case and you need to follow the checklist for cases. The Department will contact you.

2. Use the rapid antigen tests on offer

 When you get your standard (PCR) test at a testing centre, you can also receive five rapid antigen self-tests free when you advise the testing centre that you are a workplace close contact.

It is strongly recommended that you undertake the rapid antigen self-tests daily using the supplied tests. This is especially important if you are visiting a sensitive and low vaccination setting such as:

• Schools and early childhood learning centres.
• Aged care, hospitals, disability settings and correctional facilities.
• Visiting elderly relatives.

If you test positive on a rapid antigen self-test, it means you likely have COVID-19, and you have to get a standard (PCR) test at a testing centre to confirm the positive result.

3. Stay alert for any health advice from the Department of Health

In most cases, the Department of Health will not contact a case's social contacts or provide direct advice.

*There are some circumstances where the Department of Health may step in and provide advice, which you must follow.

Outbreaks and superspreader events:

When the Department identifies that any particular venue has caused a major outbreak and is at risk of becoming a superspreader event, the Department will step in and take over the process.

This may involve the Department:

• Directly contacting people who checked in at the venue using the Service Victoria app.
• Calling the workplace to ask for the details of the contacts who were there.
• Providing people who were present with stronger advice, which they must follow.
• This advice may require you to get tested or quarantine.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

You should notify the Department of Health or Local Public Health Unit if 5 or more staff members are diagnosed with COVID-19 within 7 days.

• You can email the Department of Health at [email protected]
• You should also notify WorkSafe.

Businesses can draw on a range of sources to classify contacts using the risk-based approach, such as: 

Rosters or electronic records showing where and when workers worked, including any interactions at the start or end of shift or during break times

Worker health records, including vaccination status and any mask-wearing exemptions

Interviews with the confirmed case and, should the confirmed case consent to being identified, interviews with other workers on-site

CCTV footage tracking the confirmed case in the workplace.

Example of a text/email notification to workplace close contacts

If you test positive for COVID-19:

If you test positive for COVID-19 you will be required to isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days and you will be required to notify your workplace.

Please refer to Checklist for COVID cases | Coronavirus Victoria

As part of the NEW isolation rules and guidelines (as of 18 November 2021):

• Workplaces are NO longer required to notify DHHS or WorkSafe VIC of a confirmed case UNLESS you have 5 or more staff members that are diagnosed with COVID-19 within 7 days.
• Workplaces are NO longer required to provide a list of contacts to the Department of Health, unless specifically asked (e.g. in the case of an emerging outbreak)
• Workplaces are NO longer required to contact clients/customers of a confirmed case in the workplace.
• Workplaces are NO longer required to complete a Workplace Risk Assessment Form
• Workplaces are NO longer required to conduct a mandatory deep clean

Further advice from the Department of Health

1. Businesses are now required to self-manage their exposure in line with public health guidance and the new risk-based approach.
2. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 infections in the workplace, COVIDSafe practices are strongly recommended and a COVIDSafe plan is still required.
3. The infectious period is 48 hours before the person’s symptoms start (or if they did not have symptoms, 48 hours before they were tested).
4. You should not disclose the identity of the person with confirmed COVID-19 to other workers unless the person has given you permission to do so.
5. No one should be at work whilst awaiting a COVID-19 test result. Anyone awaiting a test result must stay home and not attend work until they get a negative result.
6. If a worker finds out they have tested positive for COVID-19 while they are at work, they must immediately go directly home and isolate. If the worker is unable to leave work immediately, support them to isolate at work, preferably in a separate room. They must wear a fitted face mask and remain at least 1.5 metres from others at all times.
7. The Department of Health will continue to manage emerging outbreaks of concern and ‘superspreader events’ and can impose a quarantine period on contacts on a case-by-case basis, depending on evidence.
8. Exposure sites will no longer be published. Instead, the Department will use the new alert function in the Service Victoria app to notify patrons of higher-risk venues where positive cases have been present – such as restaurants, gyms and nightclubs – and advise them to get tested.
9. Individuals who test positive are strongly recommended to tell the social contacts they have spent time with and encourage them to get tested. The Department will not trace or manage these contacts. With a simple call-to-action, the advice can move faster when the individual is empowered to do it among the people they know.

People who live with someone who has COVID-19 pose the highest transmission risk. Household contacts who have had more than four hours of contact with a case inside a household, accommodation or care setting must isolate for 7 days if fully vaccinated or 14 days if not fully vaccinated, with a PCR test required on day 0 and for release.

If you have any questions the best place to call is the Covid hotline 1800 675 398.

Other resources to support Victorian Businesses

Preventing infection in the workplace | Coronavirus Victoria

The hierarchy of control - WorkSafe

Coronavirus - Disposing Clinical Waste

Managing COVID-19 risk: Face masks in the workplace

Confirmed case in the workplace | Coronavirus Victoria