New Visitor Protocols - Mask Wearing No Longer Required

We have made the decision to cease the requirement for staff and visitors to wear masks at Fergusson Home. And it is great to see another aspect of ‘pre-COVID’ life returning. 

However, while we have ended mandatory mask-wearing, we will be continuing with some existing precautions and processes for minimising the potential risk of COVID or gastro illnesses entering our facility. Please read on for further information.

Current Protocols

The following information clarifies our current infection prevention procedures for visitors to Fergusson Home:  

• It is very important that you do not visit your friends and whanau at Fergusson Home if you are feeling unwell: particularly if you have any gastro or respiratory illnesses.

  It means that we are encouraging everyone (including staff) to continue to be vigilant about their own health: anyone starting to develop cold or flu symptoms is requested to stay at home, and to take a RAT as soon as possible.

• Visitors will still be asked to perform good hand hygiene when they come to Fergusson Home.

• Mask wearing will still be required for staff who are providing care to a resident that is suspected or confirmed with a respiratory virus infection.

Why change the protocols?

This update in our protocols follows a recent review of our infection prevention and control practices after Te Whatu Ora issued new guidelines last month, “Mask Use and Visitor Guidance for Hospitals and Other Health and Disability Care Settings (Aged and Residential Care)”.  The decision to end mandatory mask-wearing was also made in conjunction with a consultation with our local GP, Dr Cate Mills, who recommended that masks were not required at this stage.

Mask wearing remains an important measure in preventing transmission of COVID and other respiratory virus infections, along with:

• The ability for visitors and staff to perform hand hygiene;

• Having clean indoor air through good ventilation;

• Processes that promote vaccination;

• Visitors not coming if they are unwell; and

• Staff staying home if unwell.

Mandatory mask-wearing may be re-implemented in the future if there is a surge of cases in the community, or an outbreak in our facility.  But we will always communicate this to you if this occurs.

A big thank you to everyone for their patience and perseverance with wearing masks over the past few years.

Louise Davey - Facility Manager