COVID-19 News

Letter to Residents, Families & Advocates - New Residential Aged Care Facilities Direction No. 11
1 March, 2021

Dear valued Residents, Families and Advocates,

New Residential Aged Care Facilities Direction No. 11

We are pleased to advise the MCT community that we have now received the new direction from the Tasmanian Government which addresses the easing of restrictions and requirements of visitors entering aged care facilities in Tasmania.

The main change is that from today – Monday 1 March 2021 – visitors will no longer be restricted to 2 people visiting per day and they will not be limited to time spent with their loved one during visiting hours. Visitors are also no longer required to provide evidence of their current influenza vaccine.

Travellers from identified COVID-19 medium and high risk areas in the previous 14 days are still unable to visit residential aged care facilities in Tasmania unless they have been granted exemption from the Director of Public Health or relevant delegate.

Exemptions are only considered for visitors who are well (no flu like symptoms) and are a significant person to the resident they are visiting and seek to provide end-of-life support to that resident. Supporting documentation must be provided from the facility to receive an exemption – as per current process. Exemptions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are in addition to obtaining a G2G pass if travelling from outside of Tasmania.

For more information regarding border arrangements, COVID-19 low, medium or high risk areas, please visit https://www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/travellers-and-visitors/coming-to-tasmania.

All other visitor screening processes will remain in place: visitors are to remain in the resident’s room or specific non-communal area; one single point of entry to sign in/out, screen and monitor visitors via main reception (visiting hours will remain in place to support this); as well as maintain good hand hygiene and social distancing.

For further information regarding current visitor restrictions in Tasmanian aged care facilities, please visit https://coronavirus.tas.gov.au/families-community/aged-care-facility-visits

Please be assured that we are here to support you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns about your own visiting arrangements, please contact your Facility Manager directly.

Yours sincerely,
Khan Richardson
Acting Chief Executive Officer

on behalf of
Jackie Howard
Chief Executive Officer
Masonic Care Tasmania

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