Published by Auckland, Counties Manukau and Waitematā DHBs on 7/03/2022 7:07:04 PM.

Updated Primary Care Response 2022

Updates have been made to the Primary Care Response 2022: The New Normal, incorporating:

• recent advice about clinical priorities;
• staff who don’t have COVID-19 exposure history but have mild symptoms;
• PPE guidance for doing RATs as well as PCR (MoH 4 March) and general PPE guidance (MoH 2 March); and
• Occupational Health Guidance for primary care for working in endemic COVID-19.

This update will be on HealthPathways: COVID-19 Reducing Risk of Transmission under KEY LINKS.

Red Plus Clinics

Red Plus Clinics are available across Auckland for COVID-19 positive patients and their isolating Whānau with urgent non-COVID-related issues. Access is free and by appointment only.

Further information on referral criteria is available on HealthPathways under COVID-19 Reducing Risk of Transmission > Face-to-face consultation for patient with possible, probable, or known COVID-19.

Omicron Healthcare Worker Case and Contact Guidance Update

The Omicron Healthcare Worker (HCW) guidance has been updated to reflect the Phase 3 parameters for contacts. It also includes the ability for asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic critical HCWs who are COVID-19 positive to continue to work without a stand-down if caring for COVID-19 patients in a dedicated COVID-19 ward (or similar), within various parameters.

This applies for the Red Plus Clinics providing care for COVID positive whānau but not currently for situations with mixed patient groups, as in other parts of primary care. Further updates are being considered this week.