Dear residents and families,
We hope that you have all enjoyed some wonderful times with family and friends during the summer so far.
We know many of you will have been watching developments with the Omicron strain of COVID-19 around the world, and we wanted to get in touch with you to let you know what we are doing to prepare in case the virus takes hold in New Zealand.
The Government has warned us that it is a case of ‘when, not if’ the new variant lands here.
Whilst we hope this is not the case, we think it is wise to be ready should Omicron arrive at some time over the coming weeks or months.
Our priority will be to keep it out if possible, but we will be ready to act if we need to.
We have been dealing with Omicron for some time in Victoria, where we operate six retirement villages, so we have learned some valuable lessons which we think will come in handy.
The main lesson is that we need to be prepared - and rest assured we are well advanced in our preparations.
This includes developing contingency plans for our staffing, strengthening supplies of critical items (including rapid antigen tests, masks, face shields and other critical items), ensuring we have access to the best possible clinical advice and generally making sure we are ready to respond quickly.
In the meantime we have prepared some advice for you around isolating and coping with COVID-19, which you can find below.
Omicron Preparation Tips
COVID-19 Preparedness Guide
You can also contact our team on 0800 588 222 or residentsupport@rymanhealthcare.com with any questions you have.
Once again, we hope all of this preparation won’t be needed. But our experience tells us it is best to be cautious.
Take care,
|
Richard Umbers |
Cheyne Chalmers |
COVID-19 Symptoms
Common symptoms of COVID-19 are like those found with illnesses such as a cold or influenza. You may have one or more of the following:
• new or worsening cough
• sneezing and runny nose
• fever
• temporary loss of smell or altered sense of taste
• sore throat
• shortness of breath
Less common symptoms of COVID-19 may include diarrhoea, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, malaise, chest pain, abdominal pain, joint pain or confusion/irritability. These almost always occur with one or more of the common symptoms.
For more information go to:
https://www.rymanhealthcare.co.nz/coronavirus-updates
For more information about locations of interest go to:
https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/contact-tracing-covid-19/covid-19-contact-tracing-locations-interest
