At 11:59pm, 21 October 2021, lockdown restrictions were lifted in metropolitan Melbourne. COVIDSafe settings now apply throughout Victoria. The following directions from Victoria's Chief Health Officer now apply:
Click on an FAQ below for more information. Note these FAQs may not be up-to-date when restrictions are tightening or easing rapidly. For up-to-date summaries of the current situation and current Workplace Directions, see Victoria's restrictions levels.
All types of pet grooming businesses may operate in regional Victoria unless an area is in lockdown. COVIDSafe restrictions apply and pet grooming staff must be vaccinated.
For metropolitan Melbourne and and any regional areas in lockdown, the only authorised providers of pet grooming services are veterinary clinics, pet stores and pet grooming mobile services that can be undertaken in a contactless manner (businesses with an ABN) and operate solely outdoors where physical distancing can be maintained at all times (see list of authorised providers for metropolitan Melbourne and any regional areas in lockdown). Pet grooming staff must be vaccinated.
NOTE: Information about where a pet can be groomed is not something a veterinary practitioner can authorise or confirm. Clients who want their pet to be groomed at a non-mobile pet groomer or other provider not on the Department of Health's authorised provider list should be referred to the coronavirus hotline on 1800 675 398.
Vets should record any assessment and communications in the veterinary medical record, and attach a copy of any letter and other documentation, e.g. photos of the animal received from the client.
Where restrictions are in place, veterinary clinics and related services (on-farm visits and animal care services) are authorised providers where there is a genuine animal welfare issue, or for the purposes of artificial insemination. Authorised workers are required to carry permits to go to work. State-wide, face masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors at a veterinary clinic unless an exception applies (listed in Stay at Home and Workplace Directions).
When providing veterinary services, veterinary practitioners must follow the Workplace Directions from Victoria's Chief Health Officer, including having a COVIDSafe Plan. Animal owners should be aware that veterinary clinics must have a COVIDSafe Plan,
Mandatory vaccination of veterinary workers: From 15 October 2021, employers of veterinary practices in Victoria must collect vaccine information and must ensure that unvaccinated workers do not work outside their ordinary place of residence. See COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions.
All mobile veterinary practitioners in Victoria must be vaccinated if they wish to work outside their residence and are subject to COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions.
In areas in lockdown, a veterinary practitioner may enter an owner's premises to provide veterinary services if they are vaccinated and where there is a genuine animal welfare issue (or for the purposes of artificial insemination) in metropolitan Melbourne and any other areas subject to lockdown. Authorised workers are required to carry permits to go to work.
Mobile veterinary practitioners who use their vehicle predominantly as a workplace must have a COVIDSafe Plan (the Chief Health Officer's Workplace Directions define a work premises as the premises of an employer in which work is undertaken, including any vehicle whilst being used for work purposes).
When visiting a client's premises, veterinary practitioners must take the preventative measures specified in the Workplace Directions e.g. any face covering rules currently in place, density quotient, record-keeping. Before an appointment is made, it is necessary to establish with a client whether they have any symptoms, or are in isolation or quarantine. Any mobile veterinary practitioner who has symptoms must follow the instructions for suspected COVID cases in the Workplace Directions.
The Workplace Directions are just minimum requirements. Mobile veterinary practitioners should exercise their professional judgement about any other measures they might take when visiting client premises to see patients, e.g. use of PPE.
If a client who is isolating and sick insists there is no way to treat a sick animal other than attend the premises, call the coronavirus hotline (1800 675 398). Current Diagnosed Persons and Close Contacts directions sub-clause 8(2)(c) specifies that persons in self-isolation and self-quarantine, 'must not permit any other person to enter the premises unless' that other person: lives there; is required to self-isolate or self-quarantine at the same premises; needs to enter for medical or emergency purposes; is a disability worker who needs to enter to provide a disability service to a person with a disability; needs to enter to provide personal care or household assistance to a person as a result of that person's age, disability or chronic health condition; or is required or authorised to enter by law.
Clients should check veterinary clinic requirements before their appointments. Clinics will have rules to ensure they meet physical distancing requirements. Clients must bring a face mask with them and may not be able to enter the clinic or may be required to wear the mask if they enter the clinic.
Clients who are unwell, in quarantine or in isolation must not leave home. They should contact their veterinary practitioner by phone for advice on what to do to ensure an animal gets the care it needs.
For interstate travel, border controls are subject to change. For the most up to date restrictions and to apply for border permits, check relevant State or Territory Government information:
Veterinary practitioners may be able to provide treatment by telemedicine: see Board guidance, Remote consultations (telemedicine, technology-assisted consultations)
All veterinary workplaces must follow the Victoria's Chief Health Officer's Workplace Directions. The Workplace Directions contain rules on preventative measures, plus what must be done if a workplace has a suspected or confirmed COVID case. The purpose of the Workplace Directions is to limit the number of Victorians attending work premises to assist in reducing the frequency and scale of outbreaks of 2019-nCOV in Victorian workplaces and to establish more specific obligations on employers and workers in relation to managing the risk associated with 2019-nCOV' [COVID].
Responding to suspected or confirmed COVID cases in the workplace: The Workplace Directions contain specific rules about what must be done while a worker who is a suspected case is isolating and waiting on test results. If a COVID case is confirmed, required actions include notifying Government authorities, undertaking a risk assessment, directing the diagnosed worker to isolate, directing close contacts of the worker to self-quarantine and watch for onset of COVID-symptoms, and cleaning affected areas.
Veterinary practitioners should exercise their professional judgement as to how to implement measures to follow the Workplace Directions and other government rules and recommendations on reducing the risk of COVID transmission.
Veterinary practitioners who decide to limit direct contact with clients (e.g. by clients leaving their animal at a drop-off point or another person presenting the client's animal to the clinic) must ensure they communicate directly with the owner via telephone or video during the consultation to obtain the animal’s full and correct history and provide the animal’s owner with clear veterinary advice or direction (see Board Guideline 6 - 'Supply and use of drugs, scheduled drugs and other medications in veterinary practice' and Board Guideline 8 - 'Communication with clients').
The requirement under Board Guideline 4 (see 4.7 and 4.8) to obtain informed consent (including informed financial consent) for any treatment or procedure undertaken applies in all circumstances. It is important that clients are provided with clear and understandable information about the proposed treatment or course of action. For a remote consultation, consent should record the client's knowledge and understanding of who is providing the service (name, location, practice affiliation, if any; and any conflicts of interest) and the limitations of remote advice.
Instead of asking a client to sign a paper form with a pen, veterinary practitioners may choose to email or text the client a copy of the consent form along with any important supporting information. The client could then either download and sign the document and email the signed document back (a preferred step for new clients) or reply by email/text advising that they understood the information and providing their consent. Copies of all communications - yours to the client and the client's return communications - should be attached to the veterinary medical record.
The Australian Government's Animal Health Committee issued the following statement on 19 May 2020:
'There have been no reports of the SARS CoV-2 virus infection in pets, livestock or wildlife in Australia. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) advises that internationally, there is currently no evidence to suggest that animals infected by humans are playing a role in the spread of COVID-19. The current spread of COVID-19 is driven by human to human transmission. Diagnostic testing and surveillance in animals for COVID-19 in Australia is only recommended on the advice of human and animal health authorities. If testing is undertaken, confirmatory testing should be performed at the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (the former Australian Animal Health Laboratory). Veterinarians considering testing their patients for SARS Cov-2 must consult with their state or territory animal health authorities in the first instance. Commercial entities who develop tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals should reference the OIE’s guidelines for sampling and testing animals (PDF) and carefully consider the circumstances when testing may support human and animal health and welfare outcomes. Animal owners/handlers should continue to implement good hygiene and farm biosecurity practices where animals are kept, including washing their hands before and after contact with animals. People who are sick or under medical attention for COVID-19 should avoid or minimise close contact with animals as a precaution. This policy statement will be reviewed and updated as further information comes to hand.'
'There have been no reports of the SARS CoV-2 virus infection in pets, livestock or wildlife in Australia.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) advises that internationally, there is currently no evidence to suggest that animals infected by humans are playing a role in the spread of COVID-19. The current spread of COVID-19 is driven by human to human transmission.
Diagnostic testing and surveillance in animals for COVID-19 in Australia is only recommended on the advice of human and animal health authorities. If testing is undertaken, confirmatory testing should be performed at the CSIRO Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (the former Australian Animal Health Laboratory).
Veterinarians considering testing their patients for SARS Cov-2 must consult with their state or territory animal health authorities in the first instance.
Commercial entities who develop tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals should reference the OIE’s guidelines for sampling and testing animals (PDF) and carefully consider the circumstances when testing may support human and animal health and welfare outcomes.
Animal owners/handlers should continue to implement good hygiene and farm biosecurity practices where animals are kept, including washing their hands before and after contact with animals.
People who are sick or under medical attention for COVID-19 should avoid or minimise close contact with animals as a precaution.
This policy statement will be reviewed and updated as further information comes to hand.'
Information on animals and COVID-19:
Worksafe Victoria requires employers to take steps to identify, and eliminate or reduce, risks to the health of employees from exposure to coronavirus at their workplace.
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The FAQs above are for general information only and are not intended to be complete. It is your responsibility to inform yourself and keep updated as circumstances change. Veterinary practitioners should exercise their professional judgment and seek appropriate advice on complying with government rules in their particular circumstances.
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