Considerations for staff

​All residents, staff, volunteers and visitors to aged care and long-term residential homes are recommended to receive an annual influenza vaccine.

Providers must comply with the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's mandatory influenza vaccination program, which includes:

• offering free influenza vaccinations to all aged care staff and keeping records of their vaccinations
• demonstrating how influenza vaccination has been promoted and how aged care staff and volunteers have been encouraged and informed about the benefits of vaccination.

NSW Health has developed resources to promote influenza vaccine uptake in aged care staff.

Although the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing does not mandate COVID-19 vaccination for workers, aged care workers are encouraged to receive a COVID-19 vaccine every 12 months. Residential aged care providers are responsible for making COVID-19 vaccination available to their staff.

For further information, visit:

• COVID-19 vaccination for residential aged care workers
• Responsibilities of residential aged care providers
• Australian Immunisation Handbook: Vaccination for people at occupational risk

Entry restrictions for staff

Staff, including students, contractors, volunteers, pathology collectors and therapists, should not enter a residential aged care home (RACH) if they have:

• tested positive for COVID-19
• any acute respiratory symptoms, even if they have tested negative
• been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19.

Managers should refer to Table 1 and Appendix 2 of the RACF ARI Guidance for advice on when staff can safely return to work, particularly if they are critical to service delivery.

Testing staff

RACHs are encouraged to provide free rapid antigen tests (RATs) to staff to promote testing when there are moderate to high levels of COVID-19 or high levels of influenza or RSV in the community, as indicated by the NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report.

Staff with respiratory symptoms should be tested before any shift. Staff with symptoms should not attend work, even if they receive a negative RAT result.

Mask wearing for staff

In general, surgical masks should be worn by staff when the NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report reports:

• high levels of RSV, influenza or COVID-19
• moderate levels of COVID-19
• moderate levels of both influenza and RSV.

RACH staff should refer to the RACF ARI Guidance for further guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) and mask wearing when caring for residents with acute respiratory infection symptoms.

Masks can be removed by staff:

• while communicating with people who are hearing impaired
• if wearing a mask creates a risk to health and safety
• where clear enunciation or visibility of their mouth is essential
• if they are working alone in an indoor area
• to eat or drink. Staff are encouraged to take meal breaks in areas with good natural ventilation or outdoors.

Staff removing a mask for one of these reasons can reduce the risk of transmission by physically distancing from others, where appropriate.