COVID-19 self-assessment guide

Australian Government guidelines indicate that you will be tested if you develop fever or respiratory symptoms and meet at least one the following criteria:

• you have returned from overseas in the past 14 days (see below)
• you have been in close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days
• you travelled on a cruise ship (either passenger or crew) in the 14 days before developing symptoms
• you are a health care, aged care or residential care worker
• you have lived in an area where there is a higher risk of community transmission, as defined by the local public health unit

You should also be tested if you meet any or all of the following criteria:

• if you have mild runny nose, chills, fever, fatigue and cough
• you have serious respiratory symptoms or fever
• you are in hospital
• there is no other clear cause of the symptoms

People in high-risk settings will be tested if there are 2 or more people with fever and respiratory symptoms in the setting.
High-risk settings include: 

• aged and residential care facilities
• detention centres or correctional facilities
• boarding schools
• military bases (including navy ships) that have live-in accommodation
• rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

You must remain isolated either in your home or a healthcare setting until public health authorities inform you that your test is negative it is safe to return to your usual activities.

After testing it may take a few days for the test results to come back.

If your doctor says you are well enough to go home while you wait for your test results, you should:

• self-isolate at home and do not attend work or school
• protect yourself and others
• Formally notify ACU that you are in isolation by filling in the ACU reporting form for staff or the ACU reporting form for students. Once your form is submitted, the university will contact you to discuss arrangements including working remotely and/or relevant leave.

After testing it may take a few days for the test results to come back.

If you have a positive Covid-19 test:

• you must formally notify ACU by filling in the ACU reporting form for staff or the ACU reporting form for students.
• Once your form is submitted, the university will contact you to discuss arrangements including working remotely and/or relevant leave.
• Your doctor will liaise with public health authorities to manage your care.
• You must remain isolated either in your home or a healthcare setting until public health authorities inform you it is safe to return to your usual activities.

Australian Government guidelines for overseas travellers arriving in Australia state:

All travellers arriving in Australia by air or sea must be isolated in mandatory quarantine accommodation for 14 days from their arrival, with few exceptions.

These requirements will be managed and enforced by state and territory governments with Australian Government support, including from the Australian Defence Force and Australian Border Force.

You will be quarantined in the city you arrive in for 14 days, even if you don’t normally live there or plan to travel elsewhere in Australia from there.

Most quarantine accommodation is being managed by state and territory governments. They will:

• handle transport for travellers from their arrival point to their quarantine accommodation
• manage quarantine arrangements at the accommodation facility

To find out more about how quarantine works in your state or territory, or to ask about someone you know who has been quarantined, contact your state or territory government health department.

If someone you live with has arrived from overseas but you did not personally travel

• You do not need to self-isolate, but
• If you start to develop COVID-19 symptoms in the next 14 days, isolate yourself and immediately seek medical advice.
• Formally notify ACU that you are in isolation by filling in the ACU reporting form for staff or the ACU reporting form for students. Once your form is submitted, the university will contact you to discuss arrangements including working remotely and/or relevant leave.
• If you have a positive COVID-19 test, you must formally notify ACU by filling in the ACU reporting form for staff or the ACU reporting form for students. Once your form is submitted, the university will contact you to discuss arrangements including working remotely and/or relevant leave.
• Your doctor will liaise with public health authorities to manage your care. You must remain isolated either in your home or a healthcare setting until public health authorities inform you it is safe to return to your usual activities.

If you have been in close contact with the individual

• Isolate yourself immediately for 14 days. Formally notify ACU that you are in isolation by filling in the ACU reporting form for staff or the ACU reporting form for students. Once your form is submitted, the university will contact you to discuss arrangements.
• If you start to develop COVID-19 symptoms, immediately attend a COVID-19 screening clinic for testing, or seek testing via your GP, or at a hospital emergency department. You should telephone the health clinic, doctor or hospital before you arrive and advise that you have been in contact with a person who has a confirmed case of coronavirus.
• If you have a positive COVID-19 test, you must formally notify ACU by filling in the ACU reporting form for staff or the ACU reporting form for students. Once your form is submitted, the university will contact you to discuss arrangements. 
• Your doctor will liaise with public health authorities to manage your care. You must remain isolated either in your home or a healthcare setting until public health authorities inform you it is safe to return to your usual activities.

CLOSE contact is defined as:

• spending greater than 15 minutes face-to-face contact in any setting with a confirmed case in the period extending from 24 hours before onset of symptoms in the confirmed case, or
• sharing of a closed space with a confirmed case for a prolonged period (e.g. more than 2 hours) in the period extending from 24 hours before onset of symptoms in the confirmed case.

If you have been in casual contact with the individual

You do not need to self-isolate. Monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days after the time you last met the infectious person.
CASUAL contact is defined as:

• spending less than 15 minutes face-to-face in any setting with a person who is a confirmed case AND they had symptoms at the time
• sharing a closed space for less than two hours with a person who is a confirmed case AND they had symptoms at the time.

If you do not have symptoms

• You do not need to self-isolate. 
• If you start to develop COVID-19 symptoms in the next 14 days, isolate yourself immediately and seek medical advice. Formally notify ACU that you are in isolation by filling in the ACU reporting form for staff or the ACU reporting form for students. Once your form is submitted, the university will contact you to discuss arrangements.

If a coronavirus case becomes confirmed

• If you require testing and have a positive COVID-19 result, you must formally notify ACU by filling in the ACU reporting form for staff or the ACU reporting form for students. Once your form is submitted, the university will contact you to discuss arrangements.