MERSEY COMMUNITY CARE ASSOCIATION INC RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Mersey Community Care Association Inc. has formed an Incident Management Team, responsible for the effective implementation of the Infection Control Management Plan, in response to the presence of coronavirus in Tasmania. The Plan includes strategies to prepare MCCA for any impacts from the coronavirus pandemic.

Our main focus is on implementing and maintaining practices to protect our consumers, volunteers, staff and other members of our community, with whom we may come in contact, and to engage in practices conducive to minimising the spread of infection of the coronavirus.

Our preventative measures that are now in effect and will be updated, on advice from the Federal and State Governments, are:

· Only essential volunteers are permitted to enter our organisation as we are now closed to the public. We recommend that you contact us via phone or email as we are open normal business hours to attend to this. MCCA now has EFTPOS and can process payment over the phone.

· All staff and volunteers, who have travelled overseas or interstate or been in contact with someone who has recently travelled, must contact our office immediately.

· Staff and volunteers will not present to our office until they have self-quarantined for 14 days and show no symptoms.

· All consumers who have travelled overseas interstate or been in contact with someone who has recently travelled, must contact our office immediately. Services may be suspended until they have self-quarantined for 14 days and show no symptoms.

· All consumers, volunteers and staff who display any flu like symptoms, must inform MCCA immediately and must not enter the workplace.

· Staff and volunteers have been instructed to limit all transport to essential travel only (medical, groceries, chemist, work and school).

· MCCA is limiting the number of passengers travelling in a vehicle. Clients will be notified if there is no option other than to travel with others and have the option to cancel their booking.

· No transport bookings will be taken from clients who have travelled or been in contact with someone who has travelled overseas or interstate within 14 days of their booking.

· All social group outings have been suspended until further notice.

· All training sessions, inductions, meetings and interviews have now been cancelled until further notice.

· Volunteer recruitment has been suspended until further notice.

Please be assured that our essential services will continue as normal for now and we will provide updated information as required. If you require further organisational information please follow us on Facebook, view our website or phone us: 6424 8883.

The condition of the coronavirus is continuously changing, and you can stay up-to-date by visiting http://www.health.tas.gov.au/coronavirus or https://www.health.gov.au/

Anyone requiring more information about coronavirus should contact the National Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080.