Excelsia College > Covid
Important Update: COVID-19 Case Alert
There have been some recent positive cases of COVID-19 in our community. As such some of you may have recently had contact with persons who were infectious with COVID-19.
You are reminded that staff and students cannot attend the college if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. These include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell/taste, muscle/joint pains, diarrhea, nausea/vomiting, extreme tiredness, unexplained chest pain or conjunctivitis (eye infection).
If symptoms occur at any time, you should not attend college and should undertake a rapid antigen test. If a rapid antigen test is positive, you should isolate as someone who has tested positive to COVID-19. If you cannot access a rapid antigen test, or symptoms are worsening and your rapid antigen test is still returning a negative test result, you can attend a PCR (nose and throat swab) testing clinic.
While testing and isolation is no longer mandatory for exposures in Education settings , advice and further resources are available on the NSW Health website including COVID-19 guidelines and fact sheets for People who tested positive or were exposed to COVID-19. Additional resources are also available on the NSW Government website.
The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our priority. Let’s all ensure we keep our community safe.
WHO recommends the below to protect yourself and those around you:
• Get vaccinated as soon as it’s your turn and follow local guidance on vaccination.
• Keep physical distance of at least 1 metre from others, even if they don’t appear to be sick. Avoid crowds and close contact.
• Wear a properly fitted mask when physical distancing is not possible and in poorly ventilated settings.
• Clean your hands frequently with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of used tissues immediately and clean hands regularly.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at student.services@excelsia.edu.au
Excelsia College's Response to COVID-19
On-campus classes resumed
We love having students back on campus in line with the latest government regulations and advice.
Face masks
Masks wearing are no longer required on campus. However, we encourage you to continue to wear masks in indoor settings where a safe distance from others cannot be maintained. Note that masks are still required to be worn on public transport and at airports.
• Mask wearing is no longer required on campus
• Signing in using a QR code is no longer required, however, the College’s visitor sign in process at Reception remains in place.
• Room capacity restrictions have been removed and shows can be resumed at full capacity.
• Temperature checks will no longer be taken at Reception and the second door to the campus is re-opened.
• Visitors are welcome back to the College.
• Staff return to work on site making use of the hybrid working benefit. All full-time staff of Excelsia College have flexibility to work a maximum of 2 days from home and 3 days in the office. Part-time staff, who work at least 4 days per week, have flexibility to work a maximum of 2 days from home and 3 days in the office. All staff have opportunity to apply for additional flexible working arrangements in tandem to the hybrid working provision.
• If you are unwell and display COVID-19 symptoms, get tested and stay home until a negative result is obtained.
• If you have a positive test result:
– record the positive RAT result through the Service NSW website or Service NSW app.
– notify the College of the positive RAT or PCR result as soon as possible, by contacting your manager & COO (Staff) or Heads of Schools (for students).
– follow NSW Health advice to isolate for 7 days. In NSW, positive COVID-19 cases are provided a Medical Clearance Notice after 7 days and allowed to leave self-isolation as long as they do not have COVID-19 symptoms.
Wellbeing of staff, students and visitors
If experiencing any COVID symptoms, however mild, get tested. Go home straight after your test and isolate while you wait for the results.
There will be ongoing communication to staff and students regarding monitoring their health. If staff or students are sick and think they might have COVID-19, they must check their symptoms using healthdirect’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Symptom Checker and get tested.
If unwell, staff and students must remain home.
Rules from NSW Government for workers who test positive for COVID-19
If a worker tests positive for COVID-19, they will need to self-isolate immediately for 7 days from the day they were tested, and not leave home or let anyone come into their home unless they live there.
Physical Distancing
Follow the NSW Health guidance on physical distancing which is staying 1.5 metres away from people we do not live with.
All College staff, students and visitors must follow the below actions:
• Stop shaking hands to greet others
• Hold large meetings via video conferencing or phone call if social distancing is not feasible or wear masks
• Eat lunch outside when possible rather than in the lunch room
• Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces that many people touch
• Do not share food in the workplace
• Use debit ad credit cards instead of cash and make use of online methods of payments
Signs are displayed to remind staff and students of social distancing requirements.
Practise Good Hygiene
As traffic increases around the campus, we continue to emphasise the need for good hygiene and demonstrating ongoing respect for the health of those around us, especially for those who are immune compromised in our community. Please continue to use hand sanitisers frequently, which will remain available in every classroom and at high traffic areas around the campus. Leave classroom doors open if possible.
Increased cleaning of desk, classrooms and facilities:
The College has contract agreement with a professional cleaning company who provides regular daily cleaning. Cleaning has increased to twice daily.
Supplies of cleaning products, including detergent and disinfectant:
The College has supply agreement in place with commercial cleaning suppliers to provide required cleaning supplies for office spaces and classrooms.
Cleaners to be contacted for thorough cleaning of the campus before staff and students can return to campus after an outbreak.
Practise good hygiene:
• Everyone on campus is required to wash their hands frequently, covering their coughs, putting tissues straight into a bin, avoiding touching their eyes, nose and mouth, cleaning regularly used objects and surfaces and ventilating effectively.
• Hand sanitisers are available around campus and more regular and thorough cleaning of the campus has been activated.
• Temperature check is required by everyone upon entry to the campus. No entry is allowed for those with high temperature.
• Posters are on display to practice good hygiene.
Contact Tracing
Record attendance on campus
One of the primary goals of viral testing is to identify infected individuals as early as possible and to isolate them from the broader community. The most effective way to achieve this is through contact tracing.
Attendance of students during class is monitored.
• QR Code is available for use when entering the College.
• FOB security access records entry of staff and students into the building.
• Visitors log book is managed at Reception for any visitors to the campus, including delivering personnel.
Keep Updated
Check NSW Health alerts and case locations daily – make sure you stay across the latest alerts and follow NSW Health’s advice before coming to campus.
Stay safe as you travel to campus
Use COVID-safe precautions when catching public transport and avoid peak times wherever possible.
