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School Based Health Clinics at red in the traffic light system.

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We are aware that there continues to be limited numbers of students attending school currently and each school will operating in a slightly different way.

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We would recommend downloading the Āwhina app onto your phone, which has all the latest Covid information from the MOH for health professionals.

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We would recommend the following:

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• No staff or students should be at school if unwell 

• We would recommend screening all students prior to entry to the health clinic and where possible have teachers contact the nurses when they are sending a student to the clinic.

• If a staff member who is overseeing  students is concerned about a student’s health, the staff member should phone the nurse for guidance before sending the student to the Health Clinic.

• All students/staff who arrive with or develop respiratory symptoms should be sent home and be referred to a Covid19 testing centre.

• An isolation room should be provided for students/staff unwell with respiratory symptoms. This room should be as close to the health centre and nurses as practicable. An isolation room should only contain one student/ person in the area at a time. This area should be devoid of beds, bedding, soft chairs, couches etc. Ideally one hard, easy-to-clean chair for the student to sit while awaiting pick up.  The area should be cleaned after every use and ventilated.

• If there is an emergency the nurse should take full PPE (gown, gloves, goggles, and mask) in the emergency bag to the call out.  If the student/staff member has collapsed and you cannot screen for covd, full PPE should be worn whilel attending to the student/staff member.

• Keep the clinic areas as well ventilated as possible.

• All staff and students should wear masks.

• Red tape or similar should be used to indicate where students/staff should STOP and wait when entering the clinic area – this will allow the nurse to recheck for any  respiratory symptoms before entering the clinic.

• No throat swabbing or examining of throats should be undertaken in the Health Clinic – all students/staff who present with sore throats should be referred for Covid19 swabbing.  Students fitting the at-risk category for Rheumatic Fever as per the Heart Foundation Sore Throat Management Algorithm (link below) should be referred to their GP  for empirical antibiotic treatment and a Covid19 swab.

        https://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/resources/a-guide-for-sore-throat-management-algorithm

 

• Consider being available for phone consultations for students who are still at home.  A phone number/email could be advertised through the school website etc.  This would mostly be providing advice and referrals.  

 

 

For further information and advice please follow the links below:

 

Unite against Covid 19

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Ministry of Health

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PPE recommendations

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Ministry of Education

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Auckland Regional Public Health

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Asthma NZ information for schools relating to Covid