mteb/FeedbackQARetrieval huggingface dataset:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and remote communities
Protect your mob and stop the spread
You can help stop the spread by:

keeping your hands clean — wash your hands with soap and water (where possible) for at least 20 seconds. Do this after you cough or sneeze, go to the toilet, and before you make any food
coughing or sneezing into the inside of your elbow, not your hands
putting your tissues in the bin after you use them and washing your hands after
not touching your face
cleaning surfaces often, such as door handles, kitchen and bathroom benchtops
not hugging or shaking hands with people
keeping away from people and family in the community if you are sick with a fever, cough or sore throat or are having trouble breathing — and seeking medical help

Other ways you can protect your community and Elders include:

not travelling to places in your community, or other communities, unless you have to
staying at home and away from other people as much as you can. If you are around people, try to stay 2 big steps away from them.
keep taking any medicines you use — this way you’ll stay as healthy as possible
not sharing cups or water bottles
not smoking or sharing smokes with other people
getting a flu shot to protect yourself and your family from the flu too
downloading the COVIDSafe app

Read more about how to protect yourself and others.
Read our advice on staying healthy during COVID-19
restrictions.
Download the COVIDSafe app
The COVIDSafe app makes it quicker to let people know if they have been
exposed to coronavirus. When enough people download this app, governments can
ease restrictions and things can get back to normal sooner.
The app won’t know your location. Your privacy is protected by the COVIDSafe
privacy policy.
Once the coronavirus outbreak is over you can delete the app from your phone.
Any information the app collected will be destroyed.
You don’t have to download the app, but downloading it will help protect your
family and your community. The more people who download the app, the quicker
we can fight the virus.
COVIDSafe app
The COVIDSafe app speeds up contacting people exposed to coronavirus
(COVID-19). This helps us support and protect you, your friends and family.
Please read the content on this page before downloading.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for older people
Medical appointments and medicines
You can access bulk-billed appointments with your doctor, nurse or mental
health professional via phone or videoconference. If you would like to arrange
a telehealth appointment,
contact your doctor.
Accessing medicines while staying at home
Your doctor may be able to arrange to have your prescriptions sent to your
pharmacy directly so you
can stay at home. For more information on whether you can access this service
please call your pharmacy and speak to them about the best way to arrange
this.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for older people
People most at risk
Your risk of serious illness from coronavirus increases if you are:

aged 70 years or over
aged 65 years or over and have a chronic medical condition
an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person aged 50 years and over who has a chronic medical condition
immune suppressed

There is currently no cure or vaccine for coronavirus, or immunity in the
community, so you need to protect yourself.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for older people
Wellbeing support 
The Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line
Senior Australians, their families and carers can call the Older Persons
COVID-19 Support Line if they:

would like to talk with someone about the COVID-19 restrictions and the impact on them
are feeling lonely or are worried about a loved one
are caring for someone and need some information or a listening ear
need help or advice about changing the aged care services they are currently receiving
need help to access new care services or essential supplies such as shopping
are concerned about a friend or family member living with dementia

Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line
The Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line provides information and support to
senior Australians, their families and carers. Call Monday to Friday, except
public holidays, from 8.30am to 6pm.
1800 171 866
View contact
Community Visitors Scheme
The Community Visitors Scheme arranges volunteer visits to older people to
provide ongoing friendship and companionship. Visits are available to anyone
receiving government-subsidised residential aged care or Home Care Packages.
During the coronavirus pandemic, we are focusing on phone and virtual
friendships while physical distancing measures and visiting restrictions are
in place.
Read about the program and how to register.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for older people
Symptoms
Symptoms include (but are not limited to) fever, a dry cough, a sore throat
and difficulty breathing.
If you develop mild symptoms of
COVID-19:

isolate yourself from others at home and use a separate bathroom, if available
use a surgical mask when around other people. If you don’t have a mask, practise good sneeze/cough hygiene
practise good hand hygiene
call a doctor and tell them about your symptoms and whether you have had contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19

If you have serious symptoms such as difficulty breathing:

call 000, ask for an ambulance and notify the officers if you have been in contact with anyone with COVID-19
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for older people
Protecting yourself
As we move towards a COVIDSafe Australia, it is
important for people at greater risk of serious illness if they get COVID-19
to take extra steps to protect themselves.
You should maintain good hygiene and take care when interacting with other
people. These are the best defences for you and your family against
coronavirus. This includes:

covering your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or a tissue
disposing of used tissues immediately into a rubbish bin and washing your hands
washing your hands often with soap and water, including before and after eating and after going to the toilet, and when you have been out to shops or other places
using alcohol-based hand sanitisers (60% alcohol), where available
cleaning and disinfecting surfaces you have touched
staying 1.5 metres away — 2 arms’ length — from other people. This is an example of physical distancing
continuing to stay at home and avoid contact with others
continuing to avoid non-essential travel
considering having the chemist deliver your medicines
considering having your groceries and essential items delivered to your home
downloading the COVIDSafe app to your smartphone for the times you do need to go out — the Older Persons COVID-19 Support Line can help you with this

Read our fact sheet about the support available to
you if you are isolated and finding it difficult
to access food and basic household items.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for older people
Assistance with food and meals 
Many Commonwealth funded providers, such as Meals on
Wheels, can assist you with access to regular
food supplies and prepared meals.
If you are in urgent need of support, you can call My Aged Care on 1800 200
422 and they can refer you directly to these services in your local area.
If you are not registered with My Aged Care and you are 65 years or over, you
can call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. My Aged Care will ask you some
questions to help you register. Services can be set up quickly for up to 6
weeks without the need for an assessment.
If you are already receiving aged care services, you can also arrange this
directly with your provider.
Prioritised online grocery ordering
We have worked with a number of grocery suppliers, including Coles and
Woolworths, on priority access to their online and telephone shopping service
for older and vulnerable people.
If you are registered with My Aged Care, you can provide your My Aged Care ID
number to access priority delivery.
If you are not registered with My Aged Care and you are 65 years or over, you
can call My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. My Aged Care will ask you some
questions to help you register.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people in aged care facilities
Residents
As we move towards a COVIDSafe Australia and
physical distancing measures are eased around the country, special
restrictions will remain in place for aged care
facilities to protect older Australians.
Residential aged care facilities will continue to restrict visits in line with
the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee advice for residential
aged care facilities.
They will also continue to postpone large group visits, gatherings, and
external excursions.
Aged care facilities will help residents stay connected with family and
friends by phone and video calls.
If you develop symptoms of COVID-19, you will be kept separate from other
people and will not be able to see visitors.
Health care and residential care workers will continue to provide support and
care for you while you are isolated.
If you need to leave your room, such as for medical care, you will be given a
surgical mask. Health care workers will provide masks to you.
Residents who are well do not need to wear a mask.
Residents admitted from other health facilities
Active screening for symptoms of COVID-19 in residents being admitted or re-
admitted from other health facilities and community settings should be
conducted. No new residents with COVID-19 compatible symptoms are permitted to
enter the facility.
Appropriate infection prevention practices should be implemented for residents
returning from treatment or care at other facilities.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people in aged care facilities
Visitors
Some people cannot visit a residential aged care facility:

Visitors who have returned from overseas in the last 14 days
Visitors who have been in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19 in the last 14 days
Visitors with a fever or symptoms of a respiratory illness
Children 16 years and under, except in special circumstances, for example, where the aged care resident is in palliative care

From 1 May 2020, you must have your influenza vaccination in order to visit an
aged care facility.
Visits should be short and conducted in the resident’s room, outside, or in a
specific designated area (not a communal space).
Each resident may have no more than 2 visitors at one time per day, including
doctors. These may be immediate social supports (family members, close
friends) or professional service or advocacy.
If you can’t visit a resident in aged care as often as you would like to there
are other ways to keep in touch and stay connected. You can keep in touch by:

phone calls
video calls
social communication apps
sending a postcard
sharing photos, artwork, or short home videos

This will limit your exposure to COVID-19 and your chances of accidentally
spreading it to older people in your life.
If you regularly visit someone living with a cognitive impairment, consider
other ways to maintain social contact to help reassure people who may feel
anxious about possible changes to their day to day life. You can also contact
the National Dementia Helpline on
1800 100 500.
All visitors need to:

provide details on their current health status to staff of the residential aged care facility
be willing to undergo fever screening process prior to entry, where appropriate
wash their hands before entering and leaving a resident’s room
stay 1.5 metres away from residents where possible
stay away when unwell
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people in aged care facilities
Managers and staff
See our:

advice on providing aged care services during COVID-19
resources for aged care services

The Australian Government has announced that residential aged care facilities
should take extra precautions to keep residents safe from COVID-19. Both
individuals and management need to take responsibility for the health of
visitors and staff at facilities to protect our most vulnerable community
members.
Aged care facilities will:

closely monitor the health of staff, including fever screening, where appropriate
screen new and returning residents before entry
put up signs and explain the steps they are taking to protect residents’ health

Staff should be made aware of early signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Any staff
with fever or symptoms of acute respiratory infection (for example, cough,
sore throat, runny nose, shortness of breath) should be excluded from the
workplace and tested for COVID-19. Staff must report their symptoms to the
residential aged care facility.
Sick leave policies must enable employees to stay home, if they have any —
even very mild —symptoms of respiratory infection.
To make more workers available, the Government is relaxing international
student visa work conditions for aged care facilities and home care providers.
This will allow international student nurses and other aged care workers to
work more than 40 hours a fortnight. There are currently around 20,000
international student nurses studying in Australia.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people in aged care facilities
Preventing the spread of coronavirus
Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best
defence against most viruses. You should:

wash your hands frequently with soap and water, including before and after eating, and after going to the toilet
cough or sneeze into your elbow, dispose of tissues straight away, and wash your hands
avoid contact with others by ‘physical distancing’ – stay more than 1.5 metres away from people whenever possible
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with chronic health conditions
Conditions that increase the risk of serious illness from COVID-19
Anyone could develop serious or severe illness from COVID-19, but those with
chronic health conditions or weakened immune systems are at greater risk.
If you are working and you have a chronic condition or your immune system is
compromised, talk to your employer or workplace about having a risk
assessment.
Chronic conditions that put you at greater risk
These conditions increase your risk if you are aged over 65, or if you are an
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person aged over 50:

chronic renal failure
coronary heart disease
congestive cardiac failure
chronic lung disease such as severe asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, suppurative lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic emphysema
poorly controlled diabetes
poorly controlled hypertension

Immune system conditions that put you at greater risk
You are at increased risk at any age if your immune system is significantly
weakened:

due to haematologic neoplasms such as leukaemias, lymphomas and myelodysplastic syndromes
post-transplant, if you have had a solid organ transplant and are on immunosuppressive therapy
post-transplant, if you have had a haematopoietic stem cell transplant in the last 24 months or are on treatment for graft versus host disease (GVHD)
by primary or acquired immunodeficiency including HIV infection
by having chemotherapy or radiotherapy

Medical treatments that put you at greater risk
You are also at increased risk if you take any biological disease-modifying
anti-rheumatic drug (bDMARD) or any of the following immunosuppressive drugs:

azathioprine, more than 3mg per kg per day
6-mercaptopurine, more than 1.5mg per kg per day
methotrexate, more than 0.4mg per kg per week
high-dose corticosteroids (20mg or more of prednisone per day or equivalent) for 14 days or more
tacrolimus
cyclosporine
cyclophosphamide
mycophenolate
any combination of these or other DMARDs

Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) are used to treat inflammatory
forms of arthritis. They suppress the immune system and this slows the
development of the arthritis.
Some DMARDS have a broad effect on the immune system while the biological
DMARDS target specific parts of the immune system.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with chronic health conditions
Protecting yourself
It’s vital to do everything you can to protect yourself and
others from coronavirus:

maintaining good hygiene
physical distancing
avoiding public gatherings
isolation

Make sure you continue to go to any usual or scheduled appointments with your
doctor. See how to access health services
and medications during COVID-19 restrictions.
If you are at greater risk due to a chronic condition or weakened immune
system, you should also:

stay at home, including working from home if possible
avoid non-essential travel
avoid contact with others
speak to your chemist about having medication delivered to you
make use of telehealth services for routine or non-urgent medical help
consider getting groceries and other essentials delivered
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with chronic health conditions
Services and support 
Telehealth services
You can access bulk-billed telehealth services from your doctor, nurse or
mental health professional via phone or videoconference. Learn more about
telehealth services.
Ordering prescription medications from home
You can get medicines from home during the COVID-19
restrictions.
You might also be eligible to have prescription medications delivered from
your regular pharmacy through the Home Medicines Service.
Learn more about Home Medicines
Services or contact your local
pharmacist.
Urgent referrals to grocery suppliers
We are working with grocery suppliers to ensure vulnerable
people have priority access to online
and telephone shopping.
Stay connected and care for your mental health
Being isolated can be stressful and hard to manage. Learn more about how to
manage isolation.
Looking after your mental health is an important part of staying healthy. The
Government’s Head to Health
website is the best
place to start if you need some help coping with anxiety and worry about
coronavirus.
You can also visit the new Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support
Service being provided by Beyond
Blue.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with disability
Government response
Management and operational plan
We’ve developed a plan for people of all ages with disability, their families,
carers, support workers and the disability and health care sectors.
It provides high-level guidance on how to manage and prevent the transmission
of COVID-19 for people with disability and will be updated as needed.
Management and Operational Plan for People with
Disability
The Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus
guides the Australian health sector response. This management and operational
plan focuses on people with disability. There is an easy read version on this
page, too.
The plan was overseen by the Advisory Committee for the COVID-19 Response for
People with Disability.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with disability
Supporting people with disability
Health professionals
Information for health workers in emergency departments supporting people
with disability
This fact sheet provides information and guidance for health workers in
emergency departments (EDs) who provide health care to people with
intellectual or developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Information for health workers in hospitals supporting people with
disability
This fact sheet provides information and guidance for health workers in
hospitals who provide health care to people with intellectual or developmental
disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Information for health workers supporting people with
disability
This fact sheet provides information and guidance for health workers providing
care to people with intellectual or developmental disability during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Information for health and mental health workers supporting people with
disability
This fact sheet provides information and guidance for health and mental health
workers providing care to people with intellectual or developmental disability
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Information for primary health care services supporting people with
disability
This fact sheet provides information and guidance for primary health care
staff and services, including general
practitioners (GPs), providing care to people with intellectual or
developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with disability
Supporting people with disability
Support workers and carers
Information for Disability Support Providers and
Workers
This fact sheet provides information and guidance for disability support
providers and workers who provide health care to people with intellectual or
developmental disability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Guide to personal protective equipment (PPE) for disability care
providers
This fact sheet provides information and guidance for disability care
providers on the use of PPE.
Information for support workers and carers on coronavirus (COVID-19) testing
for people with disability
Advice on who should be tested, where testing can be done, and how to explain
the testing process to a person with disability.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with disability
Protecting yourself
As we move towards a COVIDSafe Australia and states
and territories ease physical distancing measures, it’s vital to do everything
you can to continue to protect yourself and others from coronavirus:

good hygiene
physical distancing
avoiding public gatherings
if you are sick, stay home and if you have cold or flu-like symptoms get tested

Make sure you continue to go to any scheduled appointments with your doctor.
If you are worried about going to see them in person, contact them to arrange
a telehealth consultation.
You can also:

speak to your pharmacist about having medication delivered to you
consider getting groceries and other essentials delivered. A priority service is available for NDIS participants

Read the Department of Social Service's accessible, easy read, coronavirus
(COVID-19) resources.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for people with disability
Services and support
Telehealth services
You can access bulk-billed telehealth services from your doctor, nurse or
mental health professional via phone or videoconference. Learn more about
telehealth services.
Electronic prescriptions
We are fast tracking electronic prescription for up to 80% of general
practices and community pharmacies for those at greater risk of serious
illness.
Ordering prescription medications from home
You might be eligible to have prescription medications delivered from your
regular pharmacy through the Home Medicines Service.
Learn more about Home Medicines
Services or contact your
local pharmacist.
Stay connected and care for your mental health
Being isolated can be stressful and hard to manage. Learn more about how to
manage isolation.
Prioritising your mental wellbeing is an important part of staying healthy.
The Government’s Head to Health website is
the best place to start if you need some help coping with anxiety and worry
about coronavirus.
You can also visit the new Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support
Service provided by BeyondBlue.