guide to volunteering safely during the covid-19 pandemic … · 2020-04-22 · volunteering...

www.volunteeringtas.org.au

guide to volunteering safely during the COVID-19 pandemic – Tasmania

stages of pandemic response

Tasmanian emergency management plans⁶ describe broad levels of pandemic response based on the degree to which the virus is circulating in the community. These levels have been adapted for the purposes of this Guide.

Stage 1 ResponseA pandemic (or virus with pandemic potential) having (or having potential to have) a medium to major impact on the community has been identified, without significant impact on health service providers. No known cases have been identified in Tasmania at this level of response.

Stage 2 Response Cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Tasmania. Public health interventions are likely to have contained COVID-19 to known cases and contacts of cases at this level of response.

Stage 3 ResponseThe pandemic is having, or has the potential to have, a severe impact across the community and requires whole-of-government coordination of the response. In this situation there is likely to be community transmission of COVID-19.

Health services in Tasmania have also described a Stage 4 response where health services become overwhelmed and immediate life saving health service functions are performed only.

According to these levels of response it is possible for different areas of Tasmania to be at different stages of pandemic response, depending on local circumstances. Volunteer organisations may therefore need to tailor their actions to the geographical areas where volunteers are providing assistance.

health information

The current outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. SARS-CoV-2 and is a new strain of coronavirus that is causing disease in humans and spreading from person-to-person. The name of the disease is COVID-19.

People diagnosed with COVID-19 will be treated in a way that best meets their needs and ensures our health system resources are not overwhelmed.

Some people with coronavirus infection will recover easily, while others may get very sick very quickly. Most people with COVID-19 experience mild symptoms that can be managed at home with limited medical intervention.

On 20 March 2020 the Tasmanian Government declared a State of Emergency for Tasmania in response to COVID-19. The situation with coronavirus is changing regularly.

Links and contact informationFor the latest information about coronavirus go to the Australian Government Department of Health website at www.health.gov.au and follow the link from the homepage.

The Tasmanian Government Department of Health website (www.health.tas.gov.au/coronavirus) has information about the situation in Tasmania. You can also follow the Department of Health on Facebook for updates at www.facebook.com/healthtas.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) website provides up-to-date advice and facts about the situation globally.

If you are experiencing symptoms that worry you, use Healthdirect Australia’s online Coronavirus (COVID-19) Symptom Checker for advice on what to do next. It is available on https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/symptom-checker/tool/basic-details.

For general information about coronavirus, or if you are experiencing symptoms, call the National Coronavirus Helpline on 1800 020 080 (24 hours, 7 days) for advice on what to do next. If you require translating or interpreting services, call 131 450

Information and advice provided by the National Coronavirus Helpline is also available online at www.healthdirect.gov.au and via the healthdirect mobile app.

overview

The COVID pandemic has had a considerable impact on volunteering across the State, and this impact and the appropriate response of volunteer-involving organisations is evolving as the crisis unfolds.

As volunteers and volunteer organisations it is vital that we do everything we can to limit the spread of the COVID-19 in our communities. To help us make decisions about when, where and how we volunteer, and who volunteers, we need to have access to the best information available at the time.

In developing this Guide, Volunteering Tasmania has sought the latest public health advice and followed the directions of the Tasmanian Emergency Management Act (2019) (TEMA)¹, and the response levels outlined in Tasmanian pandemic plans2. We have also drawn on evidence from the international modelling that forms the basis for models of pandemic impact in Tasmania31

This Guide highlights the range of volunteering opportunities still available to people in Tasmania.

It has been developed to help your organisation make decisions about volunteering during the pandemic. Although some volunteering activities have been paused and others need to be undertaken with caution.

This resource provides guidance only to volunteer involving organisations. We caution organisations to carefully consider their duty of care to their volunteers; the spread of COVID-19 can be regarded as a foreseeable risk from which community groups are required to take reasonable steps to protect volunteers. Additionally, consider the impact on the health system of inadvertently increasing the risk of spreading the virus.

The risk matrices set out below provides guidance to safe volunteering practices at different stages of the pandemic in Tasmania. It is important to remain aware of the stage of the pandemic that your region is experiencing, as this is changing regularly across the State.

This advice needs to be considered together with current WHS requirements⁴ and a best practice approach to volunteering as outlined in the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement⁵. Volunteering Tasmania is available to provide advice and help in implementing best practice volunteering and the National Standards.

We will update this Guide as new information comes to light.

If you think you might have COVID-19 because you feel unwell with a fever OR cough, sore throat or shortness of breath AND have had contact with a confirmed case, phone the Tasmanian Public Health Hotline on 1800 671 738 straight away. Tell them about your symptoms and recent travel or contacts.

Demographic Non-Contact Roles (from home)• E.g. Wellbeing checks support via phone

Remote Contact Roles• E.g. Delivery of goods (to community members/other

organisations)

Closer Contact roles• Eg: Community transport

Level 1• 18-49 y/o • Fit and healthy, no underlying health issues• No symptoms • Not recently returned from overseas or been in

contact with anyone who has

Recommended• Volunteers must feel mentally and emotionally fit to

participate

Recommended, with conditions:o Adhere to social distancing and hand hygiene adviceo Strictly NO entering homes - hand-off of goods on

doorstepo Use PPE if volunteer role requires this. Volunteers

are fully trained and inducted specifically regarding health risks and effective use of PPE by the volunteer organisation

Recommended, with strict conditions:o Adhere to advice regarding use of PPEo Volunteers are fully trained and inducted specifically

regarding health risks and effective use of PPE by the volunteer organisation

Level 2• 50-59 y/o • Fit and healthy, no underlying health issues • No symptoms • Not recently returned from overseas or been in



participate









participate






Level 4• 70+ y/o OR• 65+ y/o with underlying medical issues OR• 50+ y/o Indigenous volunteers with underlying

medical issues OR• Pregnant OR• Immune compromised OR• And not recently returned from overseas or been in

contact with anyone who has.


participate






Level 5• Showing COVID like symptoms or • Diagnosed with COVID-19

Not recommendedVolunteers require rest

Must remain in IsolationIn accordance with general public health advice and/or Tasmania Public Health Act 1997 direction under section 16


COVID-19 Stage 1 Response: Risk Matrix on recommended use of volunteers in essential roles No known cases have been identified in Tasmania

COVID-19 Stage 2 Response: Risk Matrix on recommended use of volunteers in essential rolesWhen there have been local cases of COVID-19 but no known community transmission



organisations)


Level 1• 18-49 y/o• Fit and healthy, no underlying health issues• No symptoms• Not recently returned from overseas or been in


Recomeneded• Volunteers must feel mentally and emotionally fit to

participate




Recommended, with very strict conditions:o Appropriate PPE essential for volunteers AND

CLIENTSo Volunteers are fully trained and inducted specifically


Level 2• 50-59 y/o • Fit and healthy, no underlying health issues• No symptoms• Not recently returned from overseas or been in



participate







Level 3• 60-69 y/o• Fit and healthy, no underlying health issues • No symptoms • Not recently returned from overseas or been in



participate








medical issues OR• Pregnant OR• Immune compromised OR• Recently returned from overseas or been in contact

with anyone who has.


participate

Not Recommended Not Recommended


Not recommended. Volunteers require rest



COVID-19 Stage 3 Response: Risk Matrix on recommended use of volunteers in essential roles There is community transmission of COVID-19



organisations)


Level 1• 18-49 y/o• Fit and healthy, no underlying health issues• No symptoms • Not recently returned from overseas or been in



participate










participate

Recommended, with conditions:o Adhere to social distancing and hand hygiene advice o Strictly NO entering homes - hand-off of goods on

doorstep o Use PPE if volunteer role requires this. Volunteers


Not Recommended

Level 3• 60-69 y/o• Fit and healthy, no underlying health issues • No symptoms • Not recently returned from overseas or been in



participate

Recommended, with conditions:o Adhere to social distancing and hand hygiene advice o Strictly NO entering homes - hand-off of goods on

doorstep o Use PPE if volunteer role requires this. Volunteers


Not Recommended



with anyone who has


participate


Level 5• Showing COVID like symptoms• Diagnosed with COVID-19




COVID-19 Stage 4 Response: Risk Matrix on recommended use of volunteers in essential roles There is widespread community transmission of COVID-19



organisations





participate

Recommended, with strict conditions:o Adhere to all government directives regarding social

distancing and travel outside of your homeo Observe strict hygiene routines for hand hygiene

and cough etiquette to ensure you do not contaminate goods or surfaces or place vulnerable people at risk

o Ensure you respect social distancing in deliveries: strictly NO entering homes. Hand-off of goods on doorstep

o Use PPE if volunteer role requires this as indicated in government guidelines. Volunteers are fully trained and inducted specifically regarding health risks and effective use of PPE, by the volunteer organisation.

o If you become unwell while providing assistance, immediately cease your activities, put on a surgical mask and notify your supervisor.

Not Recommended




participate





participate




with anyone who has


participate






Rationale behind the Risk Matrix

Matrix was developed with the following information and rationale:

• Matrix designed to maximise the abilities and capacity of each Volunteer Level group, with awareness of risks faced.

• Levels 1-5 development: definitions developed through information provided through Australian Department of Health, www.australia.gov.au

The information presented above has been taken from the article“Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand” by the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team. https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk:8443/handle/10044/1/77482 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25561/77482

Age Groups (Years) Symptomatic Cases Requiring Hospitalisation

Hospitalised Cases Requiring Critical Care

Infection Fatality Ratio

0-9 0.1% 5.0% 0.002%

10-19 0.3% 5.0% 0.006%

20-29 1.2% 5.0% 0.03%

30-39 3.2% 5.0% 0.08%

40-49 4.9% 6.3% 0.15%

50-59 10.2% 12.2% 0.60%

60-69 16.6% 27.4% 2.2%

70-79 24.3% 43.2% 5.1%

80+ 27.3% 70.9% 9.3%

Table 1: Current Estimates of the Severity of Cases

Volunteering Role-typesNon-Contact Roles, Remote Contact Roles, Closer Contact roles: Definitions have been developed by Volunteering Tasmania through discussions with Tasmanian Community Sector organisations and other Volunteering Peaks in Australian states. Reflects the types of roles emerging through current pandemic.

1

Under the TEMA Volunteering Tasmania is listed as responsible for provision of assistance and advice regarding spontaneous volunteer management. Under the THAPPI Volunteering Tasmania is listed as a key non-government stakeholder to disseminate information and support the Tasmanian government response to the pandemic. ¹ Tasmanian Emergency Management Arrangements Issue 1 (2019) https://d2kpbjo3hey01t.cloudfront.net/uploads/2020/02/DPFEM-TEMA-Issue1-13-Feb-2020-DIGITAL-ART.pdf2Tasmanian Public Health Emergencies Management Plan Associate Plan Tasmanian Health Action Plan for Pandemic Influenza 2016 https://flu.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/215063/THAPPI_2016.pdf3Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID-19 mortality and healthcare demand” by the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team. https://spiral.imperial.ac.uk:8443/handle/10044/1/77482 DOI: https://doi.org/10.25561/77482⁴Work Health and Safety Act 2012 https://www.legislation.tas.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2012-001⁵The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/wp-content/uploads/National-Standards-Document-FINAL_Web.pdf⁶Tasmanian Public Health Emergencies Management Plan Associate Plan Tasmanian Health Action Plan for Pandemic Influenza 2016 https://flu.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/215063/THAPPI_2016.pdf

o Level 1: Most robust members of community during this pandemic

o Level 2: See modelling (Table 1) of hospitalisation rates, critical rates and fatality rates. Fatality rate increases from 0.15% to -0.6% at 50 years of age

o Level 3: See modelling (Table 1) of hospitalisation rates, critical rates and fatality rates. Fatality rate increases to 2.2% at 60 years of age

o Level 4: See modelling (Table 1) of hospitalisation rates, critical rates and fatality rates. Fatality rate increases to 5.1% at 70 years of age and 9.3% at 80+ years of age. Information from www.australia.gov.au: “People aged over 70, aged over 65 with pre-existing conditions, or Indigenous people aged over 50 with pre-existing conditions should stay home wherever possible for their own protection” https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/04/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-older-australians_1.pdf

o Level 5: Sourced information from www.australia.gov.au Tasmanian Public Health Act 1997 DIRECTION UNDER SECTION 16

guide to volunteering safely during the covid-19 pandemic … · 2020-04-22 · volunteering...

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