Managing Covid & Confirmed Positive Covid Cases
Q. I have woken up feeling unwell, what should I do?
A. Now, more than ever, if you are feeling unwell (see COVID-19 symptoms below) stay at home to rest and recover and see a doctor if necessary. Please notify your other Leaders and District Manager immediately if you will not be attending Girl Guides. For the health and welfare of all, please only return to Face-to-Face Guides when you are confident you are well.
Q. If I think I have symptoms of COVID-19, what should I do?
A. COVID-19 symptoms include fever, tiredness, dry cough, sore or scratchy throat, aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, shortness of breath and diarrhoea. Children and young people are more likely to have a milder illness, and some may not have any symptoms. If you are at all concerned about your health, please see your doctor.
The National Coronavirus Helpline (1800 020 080) is available to call 24 hours a day, seven days a week for further advice.
To find your nearest testing centre visit the links below:
NSW
ACT
NT
Q. I am a Leader and I have tested positive. What do I do?
A. If you contract Covid-19, you need to follow the Covid-19 Test & Isolate National Protocols and isolate at home for 7 days. You can view this protocol here.
In the case a Leader tests positive for Covid-19, they must advise their Region Manager to coordinate if and how the next Unit Meeting will occur and Guide House at [email protected]. This information will be treated highly sensitively. In the case a Unit has two Leaders, it will be assumed the alternative Leader will lead the Unit Meetings (only in the case they have no symptoms).
If there is no alternative Leader to run the next Unit Meeting, you will be required to inform attendees of the Hall that there will be no Unit Meeting or to consider shifting to an online delivery format. Use the text below.
Dear Guiding families,
We have been notified that an individual who attended [name the meetings/event/activity] on [date of meeting/event/activity’] has tested positive for Covid-19. This individual is now in quarantine for 7 days from their test date. Their household contacts must also quarantine and will have a test at the end of their quarantine period.
Cleaning of the Hall will take place on [date of cleaning] and meetings will not take place before or during this time.
Because the exposure period was less than 4 hours, all other attendees are not considered close contacts and as such, there is no need to isolate or stop attending Unit Meetings. Individuals should monitor for symptoms and get tested if symptoms develop.
If you are unwell or experiencing symptoms, do not attend the Guide Hall.
Other members of your family or household who were not present at the meeting, do not need to isolate or get tested unless they have symptoms.
Please continue to follow Public Health Orders regarding personal hygiene, mask wearing and social distancing.
Q. Who do I need to notify if a person with a confirmed case attends my Guide Hall?
A. Please notify Guide House at [email protected] and your Region Manager.
You also need to notify only the people who were present at the Guide meeting or event, or people who have attended the hall within 48 hours of the positive case, including hall hirers. You can refer to the email templates throughout this webpage to assist with your communication.
You do not need to contact Safe Work NSW, Work Safe ACT or NT WorkSafe. Guide House will do this where required.
Q. What happens if a confirmed case attends a Guide Hall, or overnight stay/camp?
A. In NSW and NT:
If someone in your Hall tests positive for Covid-19, you will likely be notified by that person, a parent/carer, or by the staff at Guide House (eg, Service NSW usually email the Property Admin email address with confirmed case notifications linked to Girl Guides QR codes).
As per current State and Territory workplace rules Guide House will only inform SafeWork NSW, WorkSafe ACT or NT WorkSafe if the individual with the confirmed case was in a Guide Hall or at a Guides event and has been hospitalised or passed away from COVID-19.
It is the Unit Leader’s responsibility to inform all those who attended the Hall, advising them of the general situation and noting that the privacy of the Positive Case must always be maintained. Do not reveal the confirmed case’s name or details.
In the event a Confirmed Case attends a Guide Hall, Unit Leaders have a responsibility to follow the below steps:
• Advise other parties such as the property owner (i.e. if your Hall is rented) as they may have their own procedure to follow
• Inform the attendees and any hall hirers that a confirmed case attended Guiding (use the text provided below)
• Email Guide House at [email protected] to advise of the general situation or if you require guidance on next steps
Include an attached Incident report and detail your actions after you learned of the positive case and what Covid safety measures you had in place at the time the person attended. Including the name of the person with Covid is optional unless they needed to be hospitalised.
The following text can be used to notify attendees of a confirmed case
Dear Guiding families,
We have been notified that an individual who attended [name the meetings/event/activity] on [date of meeting/event/activity’] has tested positive for Covid-19. This individual is now in quarantine for 7 days from their test date. Their household contacts must also quarantine and will have a test at the end of their quarantine period.
Cleaning of the Hall will take place on [date of cleaning] and meetings and any access to the Hall will not take place before or during this time.
Because the exposure period was less than 4 hours, all other attendees are not considered close contacts and as such, there is no need to isolate or stop attending Unit Meetings. Individuals should monitor for symptoms and get tested if symptoms develop.
If you are unwell or experiencing symptoms, do not attend the Guide Hall.
Other members of your family or household who were not present at the meeting, do not need to isolate or get tested unless they have symptoms.
Please continue to follow Public Health Orders regarding personal hygiene, mask wearing and social distancing.
In ACT:
If someone in your Hall tests positive for Covid-19, you will likely be notified by that person, a parent/carer, or by public health authorities. It is the Unit Leader’s responsibility to inform all those who attended the Hall, advising them of the general situation. Do not reveal the confirmed case’s name or details.
In the event a confirmed case attends a Guide Hall, Unit Leaders have a responsibility to follow the below steps:
• Advise other parties such as the property owner (i.e. if your Hall is rented) as they may have their own procedure to follow
• Inform the attendees and any hall hirers that a confirmed case attended Guiding (use the text provided below)
• Email Guide House at [email protected] to advise of the general situation or if you require guidance on next steps
Include an attached Incident report and detail your actions after you learned of the positive case and what Covid safety measures you had in place at the time the person attended. Including the name of the person with Covid is optional unless they needed to be hospitalised.
The following text can be used to notify attendees of a confirmed case
Dear Guiding families,
We have been notified that an individual who attended [name the meetings/event/activity] on [date of meeting/event/activity’] has tested positive for Covid-19. This individual is now in quarantine for 7 days from their test date. Their household contacts must also quarantine and will have a test at the end of their quarantine period.
Cleaning of the Hall will take place on [date of cleaning] and meetings will not take place before or during this time.
In line with ACT direction, your risk of exposure to Covid-19 is moderate and you must take a test as soon as possible (either a PCR or RAT). You must quarantine until you receive a negative result. If the first test was before day 5 (day 0 is the last date of exposure to the person with Covid-19), have another test on or after day 6.
In the case you receive a negative test result, you should continue monitoring for symptoms and take another test if symptoms develop. Please see ACT’s rules on testing and isolating here.
If you are unwell or experiencing symptoms, do not attend the Guide Hall.
Please continue to follow Public Health Orders regarding personal hygiene, mask wearing and social distancing.
Q. If a confirmed case attends Guiding, can Unit Meetings at the Hall still occur?
A. The Guide Hall will remain closed until it’s cleaned. Cleaning must be organized before anyone enters the Hall. A professional deep clean is not mandatory and Leaders can do their own cleaning.
View Safe Work Australia’s cleaning guidelines here.
Q. What will happen if any Guide or Leader starts to feel ill or appears unwell during Girl Guides?
A. If any Leaders are unwell on arrival or during a Guide meeting, please inform other Leaders and your District Manager and leave immediately. If any Guide is unwell, parents are to be contacted immediately to collect her.
Q. Can I come to Girl Guides if I am awaiting COVID-19 test results?
A. Anyone who has been tested for COVID-19 must remain in isolation until the test results are confirmed.
Q. What measures are in place for Volunteers who are unwell?
A. Volunteers should not attend any Guiding face to face activities if they are feeling unwell.
If a Volunteer becomes unwell while attending a meeting, they are to contact their District Manager, Region Manager and/or Guide House, leave immediately and contact the National Coronavirus Helpline (1800 020 080) or their doctor for further advice.
If a Volunteer has been tested for COVID-19, they must remain in isolation until test results are confirmed.
Q. What should I tell families if a confirmed case attended an overnight camp or sleepover?
A. If a confirmed case shared accommodation with other members, such as an overnight camp or sleepover, the following text can be used to send to families.
Dear Guiding families,
We have been informed that an individual who attended [name the overnight activity] on the night of [date(s) of event] has since tested positive for Covid-19. This individual is in quarantine for 7 days from their test date. Their household contacts must also quarantine and will have a test at the end of their quarantine period.
Under the current Covid-19 regulations, all other attendees at this event are considered ‘household contacts’ and therefore need to isolate for 7 days from the last time you were in contact with this person. NSW Government recommend having a RAT as soon as possible and again on Day 6. Have an additional RAT if you develop symptoms. Please see Government rules regarding test and isolate rules here.
If the household contact can isolate at home separately from the other members of the household (ideally this means separate bedroom, separate bathroom, and meals delivered to their room) then other members of your family or household do not need to isolate or get tested unless they develop symptoms.
Please continue to follow Public Health Orders regarding personal hygiene, mask wearing and social distancing.
Q. What do I do if someone asks who a confirmed case is?
A. Girl Guides respects the privacy of individuals, including those who are confirmed cases of Covid-19. You should not provide the personal details of a confirmed case to anyone.
Q. Can a member or volunteer who has been a close contact or casual contact of a person with COVID-19 somewhere else then come to Guides?
A. This depends entirely on the level of contact the member or volunteer has had with the person that has a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19.
Please follow your state and territory rules for the risk and definitions of close and casual contacts and what is required in your state or territory regarding tests and isolation.
Refer to the NSW Government’s information for people exposed to Covid-19
here.
Here are some current examples ;
1 - If a youth member attended a school where there is a confirmed case of COVID 19 - if they spent more than 4 hours in close contact without a mask with this person - then they should get a RAT or PCR test that is negative before coming to Guides. They shouldn't be coming to Guides if they are unwell or while they wait for their test result. If they were not in close contact with the person and have no symptoms then, at this time, there is no state or territory rule mandating tests before participating in the wider community.
2- If a member lives with a person with COVID 19 then they need to isolate for 7 days and have a negative RAT or PCR test before entering the community at the end of the 7 days, and therefore not come to Guides in that time. Of course if they are unwell or have COVID 19 they cannot come to Guides.
In all circumstances they need to watch for symptoms and if they have symptoms get a RAT or PCR test. Then, if the result is negative they can come to Guides. However, following your state or territory rules for close contact , testing and isolation is primary to these examples.