SWTAFE is committed to providing a safe environment for our staff, students, contractors and wider community. The information below reflects our current organisation protocols for business operations, as guided by the Victorian Government.
How to keep safe and avoid COVID-19
To keep our staff and students safe and limit the spread of COVID-19:
- SWTAFE highly recommends students, visitors and staff wear masks in all indoor environments when on campus
- Practice good hygiene - frequently wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or by using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser
- Keep 1.5 metres away from others wherever possible
- Avoid physical greetings such as handshaking
- Avoid crowds and large gatherings where close contact is likely, if you are in a crowd consider wearing a mask
- Get tested and stay at home if you have any cold or flu symptoms
How to keep safe and avoid COVID-19
For SWTAFE students:
Students enrolled in the higher education, skills and training sector are no longer required to show evidence of having received COVID-19 vaccinations when attending class on campus.
However, vaccine requirements for placement and workplace training remain in place.
Students who are undertaking practical placement or relevant work-based training as part of their course must continue to follow the vaccination requirements set by the respective workplace. SWTAFE recommends students check with their employers regarding current vaccine mandates that apply to their sector.
Pure Academy students: as an operating hair, beauty and massage facility to the public, Pure Academy will be following industry vaccination requirements. Therefore, all students are required to show evidence that they have received COVID-19 vaccinations.
For SWTAFE staff:
The current vaccination requirements remain in place, with all staff working outside their ordinary place of residence required to be fully vaccinated, unless identified as an excepted person.
Those staff working within the Disability Department are required to be fully vaccinated (boosted).
An excepted person means a person who holds acceptable certification that they are unable to receive a dose, or a further dose, of any COVID-19 vaccine that is available in Australia due to:
a) a medical contraindication; or
b) an acute medical illness (including where the person has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
A person is fully vaccinated if the person has received:
a) one dose of a one dose COVID-19 vaccine; or
b) two doses of a two dose COVID-19 vaccine including two different types of two dose COVID-19 vaccines.
A person is fully vaccinated (boosted) if the person has received a booster dose.
Please remember to report any COVID cases
- If you test positive to COVID-19, you must tell the social and workplace contacts who you spent time with while you were infectious. This includes colleagues at SWTAFE. You may also inform people at a school or other education facility.
- As a staff member you must ensure that they report this to CovidReporting@swtafe.edu.au, as we are required to monitor and report case clusters in our workplace to The Department of Health. You must also notify SWTAFE if you were onsite during your infectious period (in the 48 hours prior to returning the positive result if you had no symptoms, or in the 48 hours before you first experienced symptoms of COVID-19).
- People who return a positive PCR or rapid antigen test for COVID-19 must continue to isolate for 7 days.
- People who have tested positive for COVID-19 and completed their 7-day isolation period are not required to get tested or isolate/quarantine if re-exposed to a case within 12 weeks (previously within 8 weeks) of ending their isolation period.
- If a recovered case develops new symptoms during the 12-week period, they should get tested for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses (for example, influenza) and remain at home until symptoms resolve. Those at high risk of severe disease should consider seeking advice from their primary care provider.
Rules for workplace close contacts at SWTAFE
You are a workplace contact if you spent more than 15 minutes face-to-face with someone who has COVID-19, or if you spent more than two hours with them in the same indoor space (such as a workplace or a restaurant)
- If you have symptoms, you must use a rapid antigen test, or get a PCR test if you can’t access a rapid antigen test.
- If you don't have symptoms, you are recommended to use a daily rapid antigen test for 5 days.
- If you test positive on a rapid antigen test, you must report your result and isolate for 7 days
Rules for household close contacts
You are a household contact if you have spent more than four hours with someone who has COVID-19 inside a house, accommodation or care facility.
- You don't have to quarantine at all during this 7-day period, and you can leave home each day provided you:
- Continually test negative using a rapid antigen test, on at least 5 days out of the 7-day period (ensure tests are spaced at least 24 hours apart).
- wear a mask indoors when outside your home
- do not visit hospitals or care facilities
- notify your employer or education facility
- If you do not follow these steps, you must quarantine for the 7-day period – and you are required to get tested on Day 1 and Day 6.
- If you test positive on a rapid antigen test, you must report your result and isolate for 7 days. Visit Reporting your result page for more information.
- Household contacts are also referred to as close contacts
Further information
For more information on current restrictions, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au. It is the single destination for all Victorian COVID-19 information and resources, including information about TAFE, university, training and adult education providers, apprentices and trainees, and health and wellbeing.
Please see below all COVID-19 communications released by SWTAFE
