COVID News Archive

From midnight 27 May 2021, Victoria will enter a seven day lockdown. Click here for more information.

Rare Voices Australia (RVA) attended the COVID-19 response update for carers webinar on 23 March 2021. The webinar was hosted by Professor Michael Kidd AM, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health. Speakers included Liz Callaghan, CEO, Carers Australia; Luke… Read more: COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout Information for Carers: What You Need to Know

Victoria has entered into a five day lockdown due to a COVID-19 cluster that continues to grow from hotel quarantine. Click here to read more.

Effective from 6pm Sunday, 31 January 2021 until 6pm Friday, 5 February 2021, the Perth metropolitan area and the Peel and South West regions will enter a 5-day lockdown, based on health advice. See the WA Government’s COVID-19 page for… Read more: Western Australia Enters Five Day Lockdown

Greater Brisbane will go into lockdown for three days from 6pm Friday 8 January, while contact tracers work to ensure the UK strain of COVID-19 is not circulating in the community. Click here for the latest updates.

A COVID-19 outbreak on Sydney’s northern beaches has led to fresh warnings around the country and new restrictions being introduced in New South Wales. Click here for more information.

Metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria’s restrictions will be eased from 11:59pm 18 October 2020. Click here to read more.

Metropolitan Melbourne has progressed to the second step of the roadmap to reopening. See the Victorian State Government’s Second step to recovery and Roadmap to recovery webpages.

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 has enacted a state of disaster to enforce COVID-19 restrictions – click here for more. 

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… Read more: Face Coverings Mandatory for Regional Victorians

Face coverings are now mandatory for Melbourne and Mitchell Shire – read more.

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.

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.

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… Read more: Flexible School Attendance Requirements

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… Read more: COVIDSafe App Released

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… Read more: Medicines Australia acknowledges the Government’s decision to temporarily allow for substitution of dose strengths

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… Read more: COVID-19 Pandemic: Critical Care Guidelines for Australians Living with a Rare Disease

From Monday 6 April, NDIS participants can purchase grocery items online to be delivered to their home. Click here to read more.

Medicines Australia (MA) is advising that Australia has sufficient supplies of medicines and are strongly discouraging the stockpiling or panic buying of medicines. It’s important that people, including those living with a rare disease, only obtain the medicines they immediately… Read more: Medicine Supplies in Australia

Here is a snapshot of the COVID-19 updates as of 25/3 from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA): – If a participant has a scheduled plan review, the NDIA will contact them by phone or email to undertake their review.… Read more: COVID-19 updates from the National Disability Insurance Agency

RVA has reached out to all state Health Ministers and Chief Health Officers to request that they prioritise COVID-19 testing and turnaround times for people living with a rare disease who are displaying symptoms. Here is a template of the letter that… Read more: Priority Testing and Turnaround times

RVA is liaising with our RVA Partners that represent members in their community who access the LSDP to ascertain the full potential impacts of COVID-19 on the LSDP. We will communicate any updates as we have them. RVA is aware… Read more: Life Saving Drugs Program (LSDP)

Rare Voices Australia welcomes new measures announced to support NDIS participants and providers through COVID-19. Click here to read the Hon Stuart Robert MP’s media release.

Medicines Australia is advising that there are no anticipated shortages of medicines due to COVID-19. This means there is no need for anyone, including those living with a rare disease, to stock up with more than their usual supply of… Read more: Access to Medicines

You can read the first full message that RVA distributed regarding COVID-19 here.