CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) GUIDELINES
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance
Information for Students
Key Messages:
- CHC is committed first and foremost to the health of its students and staff
- You can help us by taking all precautions as recommended by health officials
- CHC is committed to working with students to do all possible to minimise disruption to learning in the event of the need for students to self-isolate or if directed to close CHC for any period of time.
COVID-19 seems to be a daily topic of conversation and whilst some of the discussion is quite interesting (toilet paper shortages) this is still a serious topic that we need to be cognisant of. CHC leadership are seeking to remain informed of latest developments and deem it important to provide timely updates to staff and students.
What is COVID-19?
Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a new virus. Originating from China, symptoms range from a mild cough to pneumonia. Some people may never exhibit symptoms, others recover easily, however, there are some who get very sick, very quickly. There is evidence that it spreads from person to person.
COVID-19 symptoms might include:
- fever
- a cough
- sore throat
- fatigue
- shortness of breath
For the latest advice, please visit the Australian Government website for more detailed information.
CHC’s Response
CHC continues to monitor information provided by the Australian Government and State Health Departments to ensure we respond appropriately.
On Sunday the 15th of March the Prime Minister announced that anyone who arrives in Australia from travelling overseas must self-isolate for 14 days from the time of arrival. This means that students cannot attend university, higher education or vocational education for 14 days after arriving in Australia from overseas.
In addition, staff or students who have been in close contact with a confirmed case of coronavirus in the last 14 days must isolate themselves for 14 days after the date of last contact with the confirmed case. This applies even if you are not showing any symptoms. The 14-day period starts when a person arrives in Australia or from when they last had contact with a person with a confirmed case of COVID-19.
CHC has decided that all non-essential College related international travel will be postponed, and all new domestic travel will be restricted to essential travel only (i.e. to meet contractual obligations). This is to minimise the impact to our staff and students. CHC asks that if students are considering travel that they make informed decisions based on personal circumstances considering their own health and safety and that of others. The Australian Government’s travel advisory information is available online at Smart Traveller.
From the CHC wellbeing policy:
CHC is committed to providing a welcoming, safe, healthy and supportive environment in which to work and study and CHC supports and encourages healthy lifestyle choices. It is important that staff and students take personal responsibility for their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.
If a student is unwell, CHC can assist students to catch up on missed work. Extension policies and procedures are in place to assist where necessary.
Lastly, we ask that if you consider yourself to be particularly vulnerable with conditions such as moderate to serve respiratory illness, auto-immune deficiencies or other illnesses which would expose you to greater risk and you are concerned, please contact CHC’s Workplace Health and Safety Officer – Amy Emanuel on 07 3347 7929 or aemanuel@chc.edu.au.
What does self-isolation mean?
Self-isolation means staying at home and not accepting visitors for the noted timeframe of 14 days. This is a precautionary measure following advice around the timeframe that people may be contagious before showing symptoms.
If you need to self-isolate or you fall ill and cannot attend classes or work, please contact your course coordinator/lecturer (for students).
Further guidance on isolation can be found at the Department of Health website. If you are required to isolate and develop symptoms of COVID-19, you should arrange to see your doctor for urgent assessment.
What happens if there is a confirmed case at CHC?
If there is a confirmed case at CHC, it is likely we will need to partially or completely close for a period to allow Queensland Health to assess the situation and to perform contact tracing as required to identify people and students who may have come in contact with the COVID-19 case. You may have already seen this happening in situations where confirmed cases have been identified.
We will work with Queensland Health and other relevant authorities to guide any specialised cleaning of our facilities as required to ensure our campus is safe for students and staff to return when clearance is given.
Continuity of learning is extremely important to us. Key CHC staff have held several meetings to consider the implications of a closure and plan to ensure learning would continue with as little impact as possible should we be required to close our physical facilities for any period.
If a closure of CHC is mandated the CHC response will depend on the length of the closure required. The CHC Executive, Deans and key staff are planning for a variety of possible scenarios. The key thing we want students to note is that we are committed to doing all we can to minimise the disruption to learning and to course progress. CHC is well advanced in the development of online options for students which, in the event of a closure of more than a week or two, will be our main strategy to ensure continuity of learning.
How can I prevent the spread of this virus and reduce my risk of exposure?
If you develop flu-like symptoms, please:
- Stay at home.
- Avoid close contact with others such as touching, kissing or hugging, or any mass gatherings.
- See a doctor or contact 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) immediately.
- Seek medical advice if you have underlying medical conditions.
- Call ahead to the medical centre or doctor’s surgery, advising of your symptoms and the closure if this has occurred.
Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene is the best defence against most viruses. You should:
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, before and after eating, and after going to the toilet (minimum of 20 seconds).
- Cover your cough and sneeze (preferably into your elbow rather than your hand), dispose of tissues and wipes appropriately.
- Use alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
- If you or someone else is exhibiting symptoms of illness, avoid contact and stay more than 1.5 metres apart.
Where can I view official information?
CHC is following advice from the Australian Government Department of Health and several other official authorities, which are updated regularly.
Feel free to view the latest updates here: