Chorus Team News Feed

The State Government has announced that the COVID lockdown will end tonight at 12.01am. Great news for the weekend! A number of restrictions remain in place (see poster below).

For Chorus, this means all services are back to normal from Monday (note: essential services happening this weekend as scheduled), with the following extra restrictions:

• Masks to be worn at all times, indoors and outdoors (click here for PPE availability)
• No more than 10 people may gather indoors (20 outdoors), which may affect some group activities
• Continue to work from home if you can / minimise non-essential travel
• Pay arrangements return to normal from tomorrow Saturday

Any questions, please contact covid@chorus.org.au.

The WA Government ordered a four-day lockdown in Perth and Peel as of midnight 28 June 2021 in response to the community spread of COVID cases. As a result, only essential services will go ahead until Friday 2 July 2021.

• Essential services (wear PPE including masks and gloves):
  • Nursing
  • Personal care, including med prompts
  • Essential social support eg shopping for food, medicine
  • Accommodation
  • Transport to essential/exempt activities e.g. medical appointments (if not cancelled by customers)
• Non-essential services:
  • Domestic assistance
  • Gardening
  • Group social support
  • Non-essential transport
• Please update and review your roster if uncertain
• Casual workers will be paid at 13 week average
• Leaders are able to make a judgement call as to whether an activity qualifies as essential – if uncertain please contact covid@chorus.org.au.
• Office based staff please work from home unless unable to do so safely

Remember, our aim is to stay safe and well while also continuing to meet essential needs. Once we get through the process of rearranging things on Tuesday, we will consider novel ways of meeting needs such as contacting vulnerable customers by phone, arranging emergency supplies etc. In addition, there may be the opportunity to undertake training and team meetings remotely. If your normal roster is disrupted, we will aim to get you involved in some way. And of course, you can always contact a colleague to see if they’re OK!

Please keep an eye on the Healthy WA website for exposure sites, email covid@chorus.com.au if you have any concerns, and keep an eye on your email for further updates.

You will be aware a three-day lockdown has been ordered for Perth and Peel from midnight. This is frustrating and frightening, especially in light of the long weekend.

Our response is outlined below; as always our goal is to both keep safe and well and meet customer needs:

(Does not apply in Bunbury or Albany!)

1. All weekend services are deemed essential and will go ahead as planned.
2. If completing a service, you need to wear a mask (and other PPE if required by the service). Please call the IHS Team Q on 8×8 (or 08 6280 2495).
3. If you attended any of the locations named by WA Health as a exposure site you must test and isolate. Please complete the COVID Testing App (desktop) or advise covid@chorus.org.au if you are getting a test.
4. If you are testing / isolating and were scheduled to work the weekend, you also need to call the Oncall Team Q on 8×8 (or 08 7160 3330).
5. The COVID Committee will monitor the need for further action and will advise on Monday if any change to next week’s planned services.
6. The Chorus 1800 number voice mail message will be updated to advise customers of the plans during lockdown.
7. With any further queries please contact a Chorus team lead 6280 2495 / IHS Team Q, or email covid@chorus.org.au.

Hi All

As I’m sure you’re aware, all Australians are being encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19. I strongly encourage all Chorus staff and volunteers to be vaccinated as soon as they are eligible.

The Australian Government’s COVID-19 vaccine national roll-out strategy sets out the phases of distribution for COVID-19 vaccines in Australia. This week, “Priority Group 1b” commenced, which is likely to include many of you. The Vaccine Eligibility Checker allows you to check to see if you can book a COVID-19 vaccination now covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au. Please use this checker to confirm your specific circumstances; in general terms, Priority Group 1b includes all front line workers (those with regular face to face contact with customers), people over 70, and Aboriginal people over 55.

For those of you working in teams in the community supporting customers, please click here to download a letter confirming that you are in Priority Group 1b. If required, you can use this letter, along with your ID badge, as evidence of your eligibility. If you do not have printing capability at home you may also choose to simply keep your letter electronically, e.g. on your phone.

If you need any specific support, please reach out to your Team Lead or should you wish to contact the Employee Assistance Program provided by Access Wellbeing please call 1300 667 700. This confidential service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Again, thanks for your hard work and flexibility at this unprecedented time.

Kind regards

Dan

You will no doubt be aware that, after a two-week run of zero community COVID cases, WA is lifting most restrictions. The risk of catching COVID in WA is now extremely low.

This means that unless there is a positive case tomorrow, from Sunday 14 February 2021, Chorus will revert to the near-normal practices and operations in place before the most recent lockdown.

This includes:

• All services back to “normal” as practised up to 31 January
• No requirement to wear masks (though you are welcome to do so)
• Work from home preferred where possible, but office-based work permitted in agreement with your leader (note: the 4 sq m capacity limit remains in force)
• Over 70s and people with pre-existing risk factors return to work

This is the best outcome we could have hoped for and is great news for Chorus customers and communities. I realise some of the recent cancellations and adaptations may take some effort to unwind; thank you for doing everything you can to get things back to full capacity as soon as possible.

You may also be aware of the impending national roll out of the COVID vaccine, likely to commence in March. The COVID Committee understands front line Chorus people will be in the highest-priority category. It is our view that a very high vaccination rate is essential to protecting Chorus people and ending the pandemic globally. The Committee has commenced reviewing advice as to the appropriate vaccine policy for Chorus and will provide an update in due course.

Click here or the image below to read detailed statement of our response to the lifting of restrictions as of 5 February 2021; in summary:

• Most services return to normal, with a handful of exceptions
• Customers have been advised to expect normal services from Monday, unless otherwise advised
• Staff and volunteers to return to scheduled work, with a handful of exceptions
• Work from home preferred, where possible
• Mask-wearing mandatory (click here or see below post for how to collect masks), and some other COVID-safe practices will be adopted

To help ensure all staff and volunteers have the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need to complete their work, on Monday 8 February, there will be a safety representative at the main Chorus sites; Safety Bay, Palmyra, Carlisle, Kwinana, Mandurah Terrace and Currambine, between 7.00am and 3.00pm.

The PPE Mobile Unit is also back up and running for all PPE requirements after Monday.  Click here or on the image below to find out when it will be in your area:

Click below to watch today’s Chorus Connect, where Dan spoke about our COVID lockdown response, answered questions and invited people to think about how best to meet needs AND keep safe.

Click below for an update from Dan regarding COVID-19 lockdown for Perth, Peel and the South West as of Monday afternoon, 1 February 2021, thanking everyone for their commitment, compassion and patience. It also including the following important information:

1. Masks are compulsory and must be worn outside of your home. If you are conducting essential visits, you must wear a new mask for each service. We have a good supply of masks and they can be collected at a number of Chorus sites 7am to 3pm Monday to Friday.
2. We are only cancelling one day ahead at this stage, and are contacting customers on an individual basis to confirm service status.
3. Office-based employees aged over 70 or at particular risk from COVID are requested to work from home, if safe, by arrangement with their leader.
4. Employees who have had services cancelled are not “on leave” or “stood down”. It is our hope that many will have an opportunity to undertake valuable and essential work in the days ahead.

Click here for a letter, into which you can insert your name and print (or carry electronically), in case you need to demonstrate you are engaged in essential work.

Click here or the image below to read the February Lockdown Response 1.0 document outlining the Chorus response and other important information regarding Chorus services over the next week.

Click below for the second update from Dan regarding COVID-19 lockdown for Perth, Peel and the South West as of Sunday afternoon, 31 January 2021.

Click here to read the February Lockdown Response 1.0 document outlining the Chorus response and other important information regarding Chorus services over the next week.

Click below for an update from Dan regarding COVID-19 lockdown for Perth, Peel and the South West as of Sunday afternoon, 31 January 2021.

Click here to read the latest update from Fionnuala Franey

Here are our latest COVID-19 FAQs which answers questions you have asked since the last update.

To view the FAQs please click here.