Important Message regarding Covid-19 (Coronavirus) if visiting Te Hopai

6/03/2020  

 

Te Hopai: Covid-19 (Coronavirus) guidelines and advice

You will not be able to visit this facility and will need to self-isolate yourself for a period of 14 days (from the date of leaving) if you, your family members or visitors:

·       have travelled from mainland China, Iran, South Korea or Italy;

·       might have been in contact with a confirmed case of Covid-19; or

·       if you (or they) are feeling unwell.

We request that all visitors to the facility religiously use hand sanitiser on entry to and exit from the facility. If we have any cause for concern (e.g. if a person entering the facility looks unwell) we reserve the right to temperature check that person. Please note that the temperature checking device is non-invasive and requires only skin contact in the forehead region.

We are also keeping our staff informed about our response plan for Covid-19 and will continue to educate and train them in infection prevention and containment in case we experience a Covid-19 outbreak. We are also monitoring where our staff are travelling (if on holiday) and checking in with them on their return.

We have appropriate preparations in place to ensure residents remain as safe from Covid-19 as we can make them. These precautions include monitoring for Covid-19, testing, and having space and resources prepared in the unlikely event a resident or residents need to be isolated.

Te Hopai plans in case of future infection

 Te Hopai provides individual rooms with ensuite facilities to all our residents.

If any residents are infected, we will look after first 3 cases in their individual rooms.

Should there be further cases, we will then dedicate an area to nurse all affected residents. This area will be totally isolated from the rest of the facility and a number of dedicated staff members will continue to provide support and care to this cohort.

We have stocked all precautionary infection control items and equipment to deal with such an emergency.

We all need to do our part to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 by:

·       Practising good hand hygiene and sneeze/cough etiquette.

·       Wash hands frequently and for approx. 20 seconds with soap and water ‑ before and after eating and after going to the toilet

·       Cover coughs and sneezes and dispose of tissues appropriately.

·       Use alcohol-based hand sanitiser between hand washes.

·       If unwell, avoid contact with others (touching, kissing, hugging, and other intimate contact).

More information

While Covid-19 is of concern, it is important to remember that most people displaying symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or tiredness are likely suffering with a cold or other respiratory illness—not necessarily Covid-19.

thank you for your patience, understanding and support

Te Hopai Trust Infection Control Team