1st December 2021 Management of COVID-19 exposure events in Primary Care settings: A COVID-19 exposure event in primary care occurs when there has been visit to the setting by someone who is later identified as a COVID-19 case. The Ministry of Health and Northern Region clinicians have worked together to update overarching guidance on contact categorisation and management of COVID-19 exposure events in health care settings-the ‘Risk Assessment and Categorisation of Healthcare Workers Exposed to Covid-19’ matrix document. Primary Care-specific advice has been developed to support the implementation of this guidance in primary care settings. The advice is intended to provide an understanding of expected processes, responsibilities and the implications for clinical practice and service continuity. The overarching guidance takes into consideration international guidance along with local data and clinical advice. It factors in the vaccination status of those exposed and standardises the way PPE use is considered. The updated approach means that in most instances, fully vaccinated staff can continue working safely if all requirements set out in the guidance are met and depending on the level of risk assessed. This advice reflects the many layers of infection prevention and control in place within healthcare settings. The non-healthcare setting advice for exposures in the community has also been updated to consider vaccination status and updated knowledge of transmission rates in various settings in New Zealand. The likelihood of getting more COVID-19 exposures in primary care and the community will increase with the number of cases. Keeping our patients and staff safe is a high priority for everyone. The aim of this updated approach is that it will reflect the level of risk, improve the way we prepare for and manage these unexpected events and allow us to continue to provide high-quality care to patients. The documents which make up the guidance and the primary care-specific advice are on a regular review cycle and will be kept updated on HealthPathways.
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