On 6 September, Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, outlined Victoria’s roadmap out of Melbourne lockdown and stage 3 COVID-19 restrictions. Click here for the latest information.
Victoria’s Roadmap out of Melbourne Lockdown
Author: rva_admin
State of Disaster – Victoria
Victoria has enacted a state of disaster to enforce COVID-19 restrictions – click here for more.
Continue readingFace Coverings Mandatory for Regional Victorians
From 11.59pm on Sunday, August 2, face coverings will become mandatory for regional Victorians. Face coverings are already mandatory for Melbourne and Mitchelle Shire. Victoria has also suspended elective surgeries except for Category 1 and the most urgent Category 2 surgeries – click to read more.
Face Coverings Mandatory for Melbourne
Face coverings are now mandatory for Melbourne and Mitchell Shire – read more.
Face Masks Recommended
Victoria’s Chief Health Officer is now recommending that people in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire, under stage 3 restrictions, wear face masks when outside the home if it is difficult to keep 1.5 metres away from others. Click here for more information.
Government COVID-19 Roadmap
The Government has announced the roadmap to a COVID-19 safe Australia in three stages.
Click here to read the detailed plan of the steps.
Flexible School Attendance Requirements
RVA has reached out to all state education ministers and Chief Health Officers regarding the need for flexible school attendance requirements for the rare disease community. Here is a template of the letter that has been sent. We encourage you to use this letter in your ongoing individual advocacy.
Responses received to date:
Western Australia – Dr Andrew Robertson, Chief Health Officer
Western Australia – Sue Ellery MLC, Minister for Education and Training
South Australia – Ben Temperly, Executive Director, System Performance
Tasmania – Jeremy Rockliff MP, Deputy Premier / Minister for Education and Training
New South Wales – COVID-19 Ministerial team
New South Wales – Hon Sarah Mitchell MLC, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning
Northern Territory – Emma Deane, Acting General Manager Quality School Systems and Support
Queensland – Office of Hon Grace Grace MP, Minister for Education and Minister for Industrial Relations
Queensland – CHO COVID-19 Correspondence team
ACT – Yvette Berry MLA, Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development
Victoria – the Hon James Merlino MP, Deputy Premier, Minister for Education, Minister for the Coordination of Education
COVIDSafe App Released
The Australian Government has released its COVIDSafe app for smartphones. The app is available to download for free via the Apple or Google app stores.
Its purpose is to identify people who may have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19 so that they can be advised to take measures to help stop the spread of the virus or to get tested. Read more here.
Medicines Australia acknowledges the Government’s decision to temporarily allow for substitution of dose strengths
20/04/2020 –
During the current COVID-19 pandemic, Medicines Australia acknowledges the Government’s decision to temporarily allow for substitution of dose strengths or forms of medicines by a pharmacist without reference to the patient’s doctor only if the originally prescribed medicine is in serious shortage (as deemed by the TGA) at the time. This should only be implemented within strict protocols released by the TGA. Click here for more.
COVID-19 Pandemic: Critical Care Guidelines for Australians Living with a Rare Disease
On 8 April 2020, RVA released this statement, which has been developed in conjunction with our Scientific and Medical Advisory Committee following the COVID-19 press release issued by EURORDIS on 31 March 2020. RVA distributed the statement publicly and reached out to our state government contacts as well as all state Chief Health Officers, expressing our interest in facilitating the development of any COVID-19 related work that will impact Australians living with a rare disease, such as critical care guidelines.
Responses received to date:
Western Australia – Dr Andrew Robertson, Chief Health Officer
New South Wales – COVID-19 Ministerial team
Victoria – Department of Health & Human Services
