Covid19 Update – Thursday 17 December

With cases of Covid19 now on the decline around Australia we have eased our restrictions for travellers who have been outside the ACT. Please see below the places we still consider as hotspots, if you or your close contacts have been to any of these places in the past 14 days you will be required to reschedule your appointment.

As the COVID-19 situation is ever changing, we acknowledge that anxieties may still be present even though cases around Australia are declining. Which is why we’d like to remind you that our practitioners are still offering telehealth appointments available online.

If you have been to any of these locations in the last 14 days, we ask you to please reschedule or change your appointment to Telehealth:

• Avalon
• Palm Beach
• Mona Vale
• Peakhurst
• Adelaide
• Overseas

Any patients who have had any form of contact themselves or contact with people who have been to a hotspot area are required to have their appointments moved by 14 days from the last date of their exposure and are encouraged to self-isolate during this time.

We understand these are very tough times and our main goal is to make sure our patients and staff are safe.

Our commitment to you:

If you have recently been to the clinic, you would know that we have implemented multiple safety protocols to promote optimal safety of our staff and patients.

Any person who enters the clinic (including family members and staff) must:

• Sanitise their hands
• Sign a questionnaire stating that they and their family members have no symptoms and haven’t been to any of the locations in question
• Pass a temperature check
• Masks available at reception if needed

In the clinic:

• Our waiting room enforces social distancing mandates with X’s to indicate where to sit
• Masks are available on request
• Staff disinfect all highly trafficked surfaces regularly throughout the day
• Patients are welcome to wait in their car prior to their appointment (instead of in the waiting room)
• All rooms are thoroughly disinfected between patients
• Minimal contact is enforced when taking payments
• Telehealth appointments are available to all patients (especially those who are required to self-isolate)
• Please attend your appointments alone unless a carer is necessary

More information and updates are available on the ACT Government ACT COVID19 website. As the situation in VIC, NSW and QLD is constantly changing, we encourage you to stay up to date with the move current advice. ACT, VIC, NSW and QLD Health often provide updates via their social media pages, or the VIC, NSW and QLD governments post their daily updates via the following links:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-covid-19-daily-update
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-events/doh-media-releases

We want to remind you that in times like these, our mental health can take a hit. Make sure to talk to friends, family and seek professional medical advice. Limit your exposure to sensational media, and stick to the facts. Lean on us and your own community! Mental health is a huge component of well-being, it’s not just all about eating well and leading an active lifestyle. If you have further questions or are looking for advice you can also call the COVID-19 helpline, 02 6207 7244, from 8am – 8pm daily.

If you are struggling at the moment please go to https://www.beyondblue.org.au/ or call:

Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 80
Confidential Helpline: 1800 737 732
Mensline: 1300 78 99 78
Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277
Link2home homelessness information helpline: 1800 152 152

Thank you for your ongoing support!

We thank you for your continued understanding and support as we aim to ensure that our clinics remain safe for both our staff and patients.

Kind regards,

The team at Canberra City Health Network