Information on the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Do staff need to wear PPE when providing care services to a suspected COVID-19 case who is awaiting test results?
Direct Care Australia staff should wear appropriate PPE when they are providing care to suspected case/s of COVID-19 who are awaiting test results in the interim until their test results are confirmed negative (they do not have COVID-19). The appropriate PPE is known as contact and droplet precautions and requires a gown, surgical mask, eye protection and gloves.
If the suspected COVID-19 case is confirmed positive and staff who were in close contact with the client did not use appropriate PPE, these staff will be required to notify Direct Care Australia and immediately self-quarantine for 14 days.
If the suspected COVID-19 case is confirmed positive and staff who were in close contact with the client did use appropriate PPE, these staff can continue to provide care to the client, and other clients, and do not need to self-quarantine.
Do staff need to wear PPE when providing care services to a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case? (and the close contact is in quarantine for 14 days)
Care workers do not need to wear any additional PPE, above appropriate contact precautions where required, if they have only been exposed to a close contact who does not have symptoms of COVID-19.
Care workers only need to wear additional PPE, known as droplet precautions (including gown, surgical mask, eye protection and gloves) when providing care to a close contact of a COVID-19 case when:
The close contact has since tested positive (i.e. is a confirmed COVID-19 case)
The close contact has developed symptoms of COVID-19 and is waiting for their test results.
Do staff need to wear PPE when providing aged care services when there is a confirmed COVID-19 case in the facility they work in but they have not had any contact with this case?
Care workers do not need to wear PPE when providing care services if they have had no close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case in their facility.
What is close contact?
Close contact is defined as meeting the following criteria from the Department of Health:
Greater than 15 minutes face-to-face contact in any setting with a confirmed case in the period extending from 24 hours before onset of symptoms in the confirmed case, or
Sharing a closed space with a confirmed case for a prolonged period (e.g. more than 2 hours) in the period extending from 24 hours before onset of symptoms in the confirmed case.
Next Steps
Would you like to know more about our COVID-19 Response and Preparedness activities?
If so please call 08 8336 8861.
If you have any feedback please send them to
or via the DCA Website feedback form here.
Direct Care Australia acknowledges that the uncertainty around the future impacts of COVID-19 may cause concern.
We want to reassure all our customers and stakeholders that we are here to support you during this period of uncertainty.
