Key data sources

• RCH – also PPE,  COVID Clinical Practice Guideline and Learning Hero resources (intranet only)
• State – Department of Health and Human Services (includes Chief Health Officer update, case definition, stay at home restrictions,  other guidelines and Community services sector plan)
  • Free testing for migrants and asylum seekers
• Federal – Department of Health and Australian live guidelines
• Australian numbers 
• Global numbers and WHO Coronavirus
• Research database 
• National Refugee-led Advisory and Advocacy group - COVID-19 consultation report 

Timeline related to migration

• 31 Dec 2019 – Pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China reported to WHO regional office
• 25 Jan 2020 – Australian restrictions on travel to and arrivals from China
• 30 Jan 2020 – WHO declares public health emergency of international concern
• 01 Mar 2020 – Australian restrictions on travel to and arrivals from Iran
• 11 Mar 2020 – WHO declares pandemic
• 13 Mar 2020 – Expanded MBS telehealth item numbers
• 16 Mar 2020 – Victoria declares State of Emergency
• 16 Mar 2020 – IOM and UNHCR suspend travel for refugees. People with a 202 visa may still travel to Australia pending flight availability, quarantine applies to international arrivals
• 18 Mar 2020 – DFAT issues standing advice to not travel overseas, with subsequent closure of many transit hubs
• 21 Mar 2020 – Victorian Government announces $1.7B economic survival package, including a $500M Working for Victoria fund
• 23 Mar 2020 – Stage 1 restrictions Victoria
• 24 Mar 2020 – Prime Minister announces a ban on all overseas travel (with limited exceptions), and advice to avoid all non-essential domestic travel
• 24 Mar 2020 – Detention visitor program suspended
• 25 Mar 2020 – Stage 2 restrictions Victoria – non-essential businesses close
• 28 Mar 2020 – Enforced 14 day quarantine for all international arrivals in Victoria
• 29 Mar 2020 – New  Coronavirus supplement announced – $550/fortnight in addition to existing payments through JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Special Benefit, Parenting Allowance and others - see fact sheet
• 30 Mar 2020 – Stage 3 restrictions Victoria – to apply for 4 weeks, no more than 2 people in a gathering, only 4 reasons to be out (essential supplies, healthcare, exercise, work/study if required), playgrounds closed), restrictions now enforceable
• 30 Mar 2020 – Federal Government announces $130B JobKeeper payments – providing affected businesses with $1500/fortnight per employee (70% median wage) – for citizens, permanent residents, and special category visa (SCV) holders – see fact sheet
• 31 Mar 2020 – OHCHR, IOM, UNHCR and WHO joint press release - The rights and health of refugees, migrants and stateless must be protected in COVID-19 response
• 31 Mar 2020 – CDNA guidelines for COVID in correctional and detention facilities
• 2 Apr 2020 – Federal government announces free childcare – see Department of Education, Skills and Employment Fact sheet, and  media reporting
• 4 Apr 2020 – National COVID-19 Clinical evidence taskforce announced
• 7 Apr 2020 – Victorian government announces school students to learn from home in term 2
• 12 Apr 2020 – Additional Victorian Government funding ($59.4M) for mental health during COVID – see media release
• 17 Apr 2020 – Additional Victorian Government funding ($40.2M) for crisis accomodation and specialist services for family violence
• 23 Apr 2020 - Additional Victorian Government funding (S77.5M) for vulnerable children and families - including additional payments for foster carers
• May 2020 - Additional Victorian Government funding ($17M) for people with disability
• 6 May 2020 - NRAAG - COVID-19 consultation report

Telehealth

Like many services, Immigrant health is transitioning to telehealth for many consultations - a high proportion of our patients rely on public transport to travel to and from RCH, and there are challenges with social distancing in a family based clinic model working with interpreters. We will limit direct attendances to targeted visits where examination, tests, or immunisations are essential and will generally complete all 1^st visits by telehealth, which will allow us to ascertain transport and technology options. 

Quick tips

• Data usage: HealthDirect telehealth uses ~230 MB on a mobile device and 450 MB on a PC for a 20 minute call – similar to Skype or FaceTime, and less than half the data of an HD YouTube video. Data use is more on three party consults, and less on lower speed internet connections. There is no data use while waiting for the consult to start.Phone companies ( Telstra,  Optus,  Vodafone) are offering free additional data (5-25GB) and supports for April 2020
• Functions: HealthDirect allows clinicians to open a chat function, share a screen and use a whiteboard function – see tip sheet (pending)
• Three party consultations: work well for interpreting or for JMS supervision -  see tip sheet (pending). Interpreting should be remote wherever possible, and we need to assist this workforce
• Billing: 
  • Consults should record consent for telehealth and bulk-billing – verbal consent is adequate if the consult is not recorded. See ACRRM consent form for an outline of benefits and risks.
  • Previous telehealth item numbers –  Item 112 – attendance by video conference, patient not admitted, and located within a telehealth eligible area and at least 15km away from physician – see health workforce calculator - select ASGS - area RA2 or greater eligible (RA1 = metropolitan). Use together with 110, 116, 132, 133.
  • New temporary (until 30 Sep 2020)  telehealth item numbers are available – for bulk-billed, non-admitted patients across a range of disciplines. See table of MBS item numbers:
    • Specialist telehealth – 92422¹³²   92423¹³³ 91824¹¹⁰  91825¹¹⁶  91826^{minor attendance}   92140¹³⁵   92141¹³⁷
    • Specialist telephone – 92431¹³²  92432¹³³  91834¹¹⁰   91835 ¹¹⁶   91836^{minor attendance}    92143¹³⁵  92144¹³⁷

Telehealth resources

• RCH Telehealth site
  
• RACP telehealth resources
• BMJ Editorial –  Video consultations for covid-19

Translated resources

• Department of Home Affairs - 63 languages, wide range of information
• SBS audio resources - 63 languages
• Health Translations – Coronavirus 
• Department of Health and Human Services - Coronavirus translated resources (49 languages – note increasing number of excellent resources, inc picture-based resources)
• Department of Health – Coronavirus translated resources (12 languages, includes Arabic, Chin-Hakka, Farsi, Hazaragi and Kurdish, does not include English versions for comparison)
• RCH - Translated resources for parents
• Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) - COVID resources
• WHO – WhatsApp Covid-19 Facts - includes Arabic, French, Spanish, English
• US Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers resources

Supports

Emergency relief and food

• Emergency relief packages
• Foodbank (Statewide service)
• Groceries – priority assistance (people: with a disability, required to self isolate, compromised immunity) – Woolworths, Coles
• RCOA - services - select area, then select 'food' or 'everyday things'

Childcare and schools

• Free childcare – see media release,  DESE Fact sheet and  media reporting - free childcare does not seem to be limited by residency status at this time
• Department of Education and Training (DET) -  General,  Learning from home for schools,  Learning from home for parents – and  translated versions (23 languages)
• FUSE (includes grade/level based resources from early childhood onwards, DET)
  Khan academy – free multilingual teaching and learning resources
  

Employment related and income support

• New Coronavirus supplement available for the next 6 months – $550/fortnight in addition to existing payments through JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, Special Benefit, Parenting Allowance and others. There are provisions around faster access, and waiving the newly arrived residents waiting period (NARWP)
• JobKeeper payments – providing businesses with $1500/fortnight per employee (70% median wage) - for citizens, permanent residents, and special category visa (SCV) holders – see  fact sheet
• Household support payments – 2 separate payments of $750 for social security and income support recipients and eligible concession card holders (includes carer allowance and carer payment). The first payment will be made from 31 March 2020 and the second payment will be made from 13 July 2020
• Foster carers - State government funded supplementary payments of $600 per child (announced Apr 2020, will occur late May 2020)
• Other possible payments - Services Australia
• RCOA - services - select area, then select 'getting work'
  

Mental health 

• DHHS – mental health resources
• Beyond Blue – Mental health and COVID-19
• Paediatrics.online – collated resources

Other

• RCOA - service guide (search by area and then select area of need)
• Family violence
• Mobile phone data –  Telstra,  Optus,  Vodafone are offering free additional data (5-25GB) and supports for April 2020
• Health workforce response – EOI (DHHS) – this may be an option for refugee background Victorians who are overseas trained health providers
• Summary of the Australian Government  Treasury response
  

People seeking asylum 

• Are not eligible for supports directed to permanent residents/citizens, see Asylum seekers webpage for additional resources.
• Refugee Council of Australia - service guide (search by area)
  
• SRSS – evidence for new applications is unchanged, however review for continuation of service is now more straightforward, clients should contact their case management agency.
• Free childcare – see media release,  DESE Fact sheet and  media reporting - free childcare does not seem to be limited by residency status at this time
• Free testing for migrant and asylum seekers
• Disability supports, including through HACC

Other resources

• Australian Government Coronavirus app
  
• NDIS and COVID-19 –  Minister's media release, and information and support
• Patient transport guidance (DHHS)
• PPE - Community services providers (DHHS)

• Resources for children – Raising Children Coronavirus, and paediatrics.online – collated resources

^{Immigrant health clinic resources. Author Georgie Paxton, Sophie Oldfield, Linny Phuong, 2 April 2020, updated 21 May 2020. Contact: georgia.paxton@rch.org.au}