13/06: Northstar Swine Flu Policy
NORTHSTAR MARTIAL ARTS SWINE FLU POLICY.
We will be following the recommendations set out by the NSW Dept of Health as listed below. Please read the following information carefully and strictly follow the guidelines. These recommendations may change at any time.
Regards
Andy Dickinson
********************
Message for parents and staff of schools on exclusion from primary and secondary schools in NSW
Last Updated: 9 June 2009
This policy is constantly under review and parents and carers are advised to check this site daily for the latest information.
Students returning, or arriving from areas where there is a high prevalence of the H1N1 Influenza 09 virus circulating in the community should be instructed to remain at home for seven days following their travel before returning to school. These provisions also apply to before and after school care facilities (BASC).
Students and staff recently returned from affected areas. Students returning, or arriving from areas where there is a high prevalence of the H1N1 Influenza 09 virus circulating in the community, should be instructed to remain away from school for seven days following their travel before returning to school. It is important that excluded students do not participate in after school activities where they will mix with other school aged children (eg sports teams, youth groups, play dates, group lessons).
This includes affected countries and greater metropolitan Melbourne. Please see the Advice for Schools and Parents page(www.emergency.health.nsw.gov.au/swineflu/schools/index.asp) for the current list of affected areas.
If they remain well after seven days they can return to school.
If a school staff member has been to an affected area and has been mixing with local school children (in a group of 10 or more) then they should be excluded from school. Principals should make all efforts to enable staff in this situation to be able to perform some work from home during this exclusion period.
If the staff member has not mixed with a group of 10 or more school children then they may return to school, but be excluded if they develop any influenza-like symptoms.
This includes affected countries and greater metropolitan Melbourne. Please see the Advice for Schools and Parents page(www.emergency.health.nsw.gov.au/swineflu/schools/index.asp) for the current list of affected areas.
Only the individual who has travelled to an affected area is currently required to be excluded from school. This is because it is only that person who has had a potential contact with a person infected with H1N1 Influenza 09.
Family members and other household contacts are not required to remain at home, assuming the traveller is well. This is because they have not yet had any direct exposure to anyone who is affected by H1N1 Influenza 09.
Students and staff members who become ill after recent travel to an affected area
Anyone with flu-like symptoms should stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
If you need further medical assistance please call your local public health unit (see below), call your GP or present to an emergency department.
If students develop symptoms at school, the parents should be contacted and advised that their child is ill and should stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
If staff members develop symptoms at school, they should be advised to stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
The school principal should also alert the local public health unit (see below).
Students and staff who develop flu-like symptoms, but who have not travelled
Anyone with flu-like symptoms should stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
If students develop symptoms at school, the parents should be contacted and advised that their child is ill and should stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
If staff members develop symptoms at school, they should be advised to stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
Schools where there is a confirmed case of H1N1 Influenza 09 affecting school students or staff
NSW Health staff will help arrange the provision of appropriate medication and health care for staff, students and contacts where appropriate.
If the person with H1N1 Influenza 09 is a school student or staff member NSW Health staff will identify any people who have been in close contact with the person while they were infectious and provide them with advice and anti-viral medication, if appropriate.
NSW Health staff will also decide upon the recommended actions for preventing further spread within the school.
Actions may include close contacts being placed into home quarantine with antiviral treatment, increased "social distancing" at school, partial closure (eg, only the affected class or year) of the school, or complete closure of the school.
Any decision to close schools would not be made lightly and full consideration would be given to the social support issues an unexpected closure may create for some families.
Students and staff with symptoms in the school where an H1N1 Influenza 09 case is confirmed
Students, staff and contacts who have reported respiratory illness will be contacted by NSW Health and assessed as to whether they will need to be placed in isolation.
Students, staff and contacts with symptoms will be treated with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) if the onset of symptoms is thought to be due to H1N1 influenza 09 and the symptoms are detected within 48 hours.
Students, staff and contacts who have respiratory symptoms for more than 48 hours before assessment will not be offered oseltamivir (Tamiflu) as it is unlikely to reduce symptoms. In certain circumstances, for example when a person is very seriously unwell, a clinical decision may be made to offer oseltamivir (Tamiflu) even after 48 hours from symptom onset.
Students and staff who reported contact with people with symptoms in a school where an H1N1 Influenza 09 case is confirmed
Public health officials will make an assessment regarding the need to provide oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in the school environment.
Household contacts of people with symptoms in a school where an H1N1 Influenza 09 case is confirmed
These people will be assessed by health authorities. If assessed as a "contact" they must remain in quarantine.
They will assessed and where necessary, will be provided with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for 10 days as a preventive measure.
If they develop respiratory symptoms, they should immediately call their local public health unit (see below for contact numbers).
We will be following the recommendations set out by the NSW Dept of Health as listed below. Please read the following information carefully and strictly follow the guidelines. These recommendations may change at any time.
Regards
Andy Dickinson
********************
Message for parents and staff of schools on exclusion from primary and secondary schools in NSW
Last Updated: 9 June 2009
This policy is constantly under review and parents and carers are advised to check this site daily for the latest information.
Students returning, or arriving from areas where there is a high prevalence of the H1N1 Influenza 09 virus circulating in the community should be instructed to remain at home for seven days following their travel before returning to school. These provisions also apply to before and after school care facilities (BASC).
Students and staff recently returned from affected areas. Students returning, or arriving from areas where there is a high prevalence of the H1N1 Influenza 09 virus circulating in the community, should be instructed to remain away from school for seven days following their travel before returning to school. It is important that excluded students do not participate in after school activities where they will mix with other school aged children (eg sports teams, youth groups, play dates, group lessons).
This includes affected countries and greater metropolitan Melbourne. Please see the Advice for Schools and Parents page(www.emergency.health.nsw.gov.au/swineflu/schools/index.asp) for the current list of affected areas.
If they remain well after seven days they can return to school.
If a school staff member has been to an affected area and has been mixing with local school children (in a group of 10 or more) then they should be excluded from school. Principals should make all efforts to enable staff in this situation to be able to perform some work from home during this exclusion period.
If the staff member has not mixed with a group of 10 or more school children then they may return to school, but be excluded if they develop any influenza-like symptoms.
This includes affected countries and greater metropolitan Melbourne. Please see the Advice for Schools and Parents page(www.emergency.health.nsw.gov.au/swineflu/schools/index.asp) for the current list of affected areas.
Only the individual who has travelled to an affected area is currently required to be excluded from school. This is because it is only that person who has had a potential contact with a person infected with H1N1 Influenza 09.
Family members and other household contacts are not required to remain at home, assuming the traveller is well. This is because they have not yet had any direct exposure to anyone who is affected by H1N1 Influenza 09.
Students and staff members who become ill after recent travel to an affected area
Anyone with flu-like symptoms should stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
If you need further medical assistance please call your local public health unit (see below), call your GP or present to an emergency department.
If students develop symptoms at school, the parents should be contacted and advised that their child is ill and should stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
If staff members develop symptoms at school, they should be advised to stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
The school principal should also alert the local public health unit (see below).
Students and staff who develop flu-like symptoms, but who have not travelled
Anyone with flu-like symptoms should stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
If students develop symptoms at school, the parents should be contacted and advised that their child is ill and should stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
If staff members develop symptoms at school, they should be advised to stay away from school until their symptoms end, so they can recuperate and to prevent the spread of illness to others.
Schools where there is a confirmed case of H1N1 Influenza 09 affecting school students or staff
NSW Health staff will help arrange the provision of appropriate medication and health care for staff, students and contacts where appropriate.
If the person with H1N1 Influenza 09 is a school student or staff member NSW Health staff will identify any people who have been in close contact with the person while they were infectious and provide them with advice and anti-viral medication, if appropriate.
NSW Health staff will also decide upon the recommended actions for preventing further spread within the school.
Actions may include close contacts being placed into home quarantine with antiviral treatment, increased "social distancing" at school, partial closure (eg, only the affected class or year) of the school, or complete closure of the school.
Any decision to close schools would not be made lightly and full consideration would be given to the social support issues an unexpected closure may create for some families.
Students and staff with symptoms in the school where an H1N1 Influenza 09 case is confirmed
Students, staff and contacts who have reported respiratory illness will be contacted by NSW Health and assessed as to whether they will need to be placed in isolation.
Students, staff and contacts with symptoms will be treated with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) if the onset of symptoms is thought to be due to H1N1 influenza 09 and the symptoms are detected within 48 hours.
Students, staff and contacts who have respiratory symptoms for more than 48 hours before assessment will not be offered oseltamivir (Tamiflu) as it is unlikely to reduce symptoms. In certain circumstances, for example when a person is very seriously unwell, a clinical decision may be made to offer oseltamivir (Tamiflu) even after 48 hours from symptom onset.
Students and staff who reported contact with people with symptoms in a school where an H1N1 Influenza 09 case is confirmed
Public health officials will make an assessment regarding the need to provide oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in the school environment.
Household contacts of people with symptoms in a school where an H1N1 Influenza 09 case is confirmed
These people will be assessed by health authorities. If assessed as a "contact" they must remain in quarantine.
They will assessed and where necessary, will be provided with oseltamivir (Tamiflu) for 10 days as a preventive measure.
If they develop respiratory symptoms, they should immediately call their local public health unit (see below for contact numbers).
