Key public health advice on COVID-19 – Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District

The purpose of this web page is to provide guidance for the development of policies and procedures in various settings and communities.

It includes protective behaviour advice for:

vaccination
isolation
masks
testing
ventilation
medication.

It also provides public health messaging and answers to frequently asked questions.

What can I do to protect myself and others from COVID-19?

Protective behaviour	Public Health Message	What else is important?
1. Vaccination	All Victorians should remain up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations. All adults are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. Check with your doctor how many doses of vaccine is recommended for you. All children over 5 years of age, and some children from 6 months, are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. Some workers may be required to be fully vaccinated. Workplaces may continue to implement their own vaccination requirements.	As of 11 November 2022, only 68% of our most vulnerable group, people over 65 years, have had the recommended four doses.
2. Isolation	Anyone with symptoms including runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever or chills should isolate and get a test for COVID-19. A person with COVID-19 should isolate for at least 5 days and until symptoms resolve. A person with COVID-19 should not leave isolation if experiencing the common symptoms of COVID-19: runny nose, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills or sweats. Other important recommendations for people who have COVID-19 are described below. Workplaces should continue to have COVIDSafe plans or equivalent policies to manage positive cases and promote isolation with employees.	Isolating after you test positive for COVID-19 interrupts chains of transmission and reduces the spread of COVID-19 in the community Most people infected with Covid-19 are still infectious after 5 days
3. Masks	Masks should continue to be worn by staff and visitors to sensitive settings. Masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19 for at least 7 days after positive test when they are: needing to leave home indoors unable to physically distance Masks should be worn by a person who has COVID-19 or is a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 if needing to leave the house.	Masks lower your chance of both catching and spreading COVID-19. Wearing a high quality and well-fitted face mask will help protect you and those around you from COVID-19. All masks provide some level of protection, however, properly fitting N95 or P2 masks provide the highest level of protection. Evidence shows a reduction in the chance of COVID-19 infection of 56 per cent with a cloth mask, 66 per cent with a surgical mask, and 88 per cent with a N95/KN95 respirator mask.
4. Testing	Anyone with symptoms including runny nose, sore throat, cough or fever/chills should stay home pending a negative COVID-19 test. If a person is at risk of serious illness from COVID-19, and develops symptoms, they should get a PCR test to ensure timely and appropriate treatment. You should report your RAT to the Department of Health online, or by calling 1800 675 398. You don’t need to report your result if you tested positive from a PCR test. A close contact should regularly test for at least 7 days following their last contact with the person who has COVID-19. A social contact should test if they have symptoms of COVID-19.	Testing enables early identification of cases of COVID-19 and supports immediate isolation to limit onward transmission of COVID-19. Getting tested early is also important to ensure that people who are eligible for COVID-19 medicines get access to them as soon as possible. Testing (with symptoms or without) can also ensure, if you test positive, that you don’t visit settings where there are people at greater risk of severe disease, such as hospitals or aged care facilities. RATs are quick and accurate, particularly if you have symptoms or if you have been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. RATs are the preferred means of testing for COVID-19 for most Victorians.
5. Ventilation	All Victorians are recommended to increase airflow, for example by opening a window or a door, when gathering indoors and meet outside where possible. Adequate ventilation is an important consideration for the safe return of workers to the office or other indoor premises.	Ventilation means bringing fresh air into an indoor space and can include opening windows and doors where possible – see below for more detail. Ventilation decreases the risk of transmission by reducing the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 particles that may be present in an indoor space. If there are fewer viral particles, then they are less likely to be inhaled and result in COVID-19 infection.
6. Medication	People at high risk of severe disease from COVID-19 are strongly recommended to test for COVID-19 as soon as they develop symptoms, then consult a doctor immediately if positive. COVID-19 medicines, also known as antivirals, are most effective if taken rapidly after diagnosis. Find out if you are eligible for COVID medicines by answering some simple questions online.	Medicines now available to treat COVID-19, also known as antivirals, help to reduce duration and severity of disease and stop people from getting so sick that they need to go to hospital. COVID-19 medicines do not replace vaccination. They are not a preventative measure but are a treatment for people who get COVID-19 and may decrease your risk of developing ‘Long COVID’. These medicines are most effective if taken rapidly after diagnosis.

What should I do if I test positive for COVID-19?

If you test positive for COVID-19, you should:

seek medical advice
stay home for at least 5 days and until your symptoms resolve
not go to a sensitive setting where there are people vulnerable to severe effects of COVID-19, such as hospitals, aged care facilities, disability services
report your RAT to the Department of Health online, or by calling 1800 675 398. You don’t need to report your result if you tested positive from a PCR test as pathology labs will handle reporting directly.
wear a mask if you have to leave home in an emergency
not go to work or school for at least 5 days and until your symptoms resolve – discuss with your workplace or education facility about when you should return
tell people and places you have recently been in contact with, including your workplace, school and household members.

	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District acknowledges the Yorta Yorta People of the land which comprises the Goulburn Valley. We pay respect to tribal Elders, past, present and emerging and we celebrate their continuing culture and acknowledge the memory of their ancestors.
	The Ethnic Council of Shepparton and District is a peak body whose mission is to promote and represent the social, cultural and economic well-being of ethnic communities in the Goulburn Valley Region through the provision of quality and innovative settlement, refugee support, community development, and information and advocacy services.