Comms to Practice Managers - 23 August 2021

Kia ora Practice Managers A massive thank you to all those who swabbed across this weekend – together you completed a whole lot of tests!

Following is a summary of some of the new important Covid information to emerge since late Friday afternoon, additional information will be included in today’s PHO Alert: Advice for patients All patients should be advised to check if they have been at a location of interest, register with Healthline if they have (this is a mandatory requirement under the section 70 public health order), and follow the advice on the MOH website regarding isolation, retesting and monitoring.

Everything can be found here: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid19-health-advice-public/contact-tracing-covid-19/covid-19-contact-tracing-locations-interest Case definition and testing guidance for clinicians can be found here: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid19-information-health-professionals/case-definition-and-clinical-testing-guidelines-covid-19 Changes to Notification to the Medical Officer requirement As of eve Friday 20 August the Ministry of Health has suspended the requirement for notification to the Medical Officer of Health of people who meet HIS criteria due to being in regions with emerging outbreaks. Please continue to indicate on the swab request if the person meets HIS criteria (including whether they have been in an area of emerging outbreak).

Notifications to local Medical Officer of Health are only necessary if the symptomatic person was in the location of interest at the specified time (or the other criteria where relevant).

This suspension will be reviewed once the Public Health Units have resumed BAU activities.

Clarification is being sought on the definition of the edges of an area of emerging outbreak. The response from Public Health is currently, areas of emerging COVID outbreak are Regions where there are locations of interest within their boundaries.

Clearly, we still want any symptomatic people across the country to get tested and this definition should not restrict that or provide any access barriers to testing.

In order to be HIS a person must be SYMPTOMATIC. This means that anywhere in the country where there is an emerging COVID outbreak and you are swabbing symptomatic people you should be wearing: gown, gloves, eye protection and a mask. If you are in a poorly ventilated space (such as small enclosed room in pharmacy, surgery or someone’s residence) this must be a P2/N95 mask that you have seal/fit checked. Ideally you will have been fit-tested and know which brand fits you best.

Fit Testing The PHO is supporting fit testing for practice teams, if needed please contact Ruth Hayes ruthh@wboppho.org.nz COVID swabbing in General Practice The GPL team have had a few enquiries from Practices where asymptomatic patients are being swabbed on day 3 and then they are advised to complete another on day 5 (following exposure).

The information given depends on their level of risk and varies from person to person and the potential contact/location of interest they attended. Healthline will advise them when they call to be registered for Contact Tracing.

These people should be recorded as asymptomatic and therefore claimed as a surveillance swab.

Please make it clear in the Halcyon claim form ie – Day 5 surveillance (or day 12 surveillance). This will help the PHO to process the claim.

Note: Anyone who becomes symptomatic should be swabbed as soon as possible (even if they have already recently had a day 5 or 12 asymptomatic surveillance swab). If they have been at a location of interest that makes them HIS and should be assessed under that criteria. Again, please make this very clear in the Halcyon form.

A reminder that text messages to patients about swab results should contain current advice Reminder to check that text messages going to patients about their swab results also reflect the correct advice. It is hugely complicated with swabs being done for a number of reasons and with different follow up advice so something generic along the lines of ‘Your Covid-19 swab is negative.

Please follow Ministry of Health advice on isolation and testing if required.”

Patient handouts at point of swabbing Toi Te Ora have yet to release a formal advice leaflet to be given at time of swabbing. If a patient needs to create a medical certificate then the following text could be used: You have been swabbed for Covid-19.

Please check if you have been at a location of interest, register with Healthline if you have (this is a mandatory requirement under the section 70 public health order) and, for everyone who has been swabbed, follow the advice on the MOH website regarding isolation, retesting and monitoring.

Post vaccination observation period change Post vaccine observation period has been reduced to 15 minutes for most (but can be longer if clinically indicated) The Ministry of Health guide has been updated to reflect this, view this link: https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novelcoronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/covid-19-vaccine-information-health-professionals

We will provide further updates in the PHO Alert which will be released later today.

As always, please get in contact with a member of the GPL Team if you need support.

Kia kaha The GPL Team: Donna, Emma, Laura and Nick