UPDATE: Monday 25 May, 2020
Over the past 6-8 weeks we have all had to adjust to very limited face-to-face contact with each other, families and friends. Thank you to all Learning Links families for your understanding during this difficult time. Learning Links is committed to protecting the health and safety of families, staff and the community through working within the guidelines communicated by Health authorities and government.
Learning Links Update
- Learning Links will be starting to slowly return to face-to-face services while also continuing to provide online services.
- Our priority in Term 2 for limited face-to-face services will be our most vulnerable children who have been unable to participate in online sessions including those with higher learning needs and those who do not have an appropriate device or internet access.
- In line with government guidelines face to face service delivery will increase after the July school holidays however families are encouraged to continue online services if this works better for your family.
- To support our safe return to services it is essential that we all
- Maintain 1.5 m physical distancing where possible
- Maintain good hygiene
- Stay home if unwell
- Observe the one person per four square meters rule in waiting rooms and across services.
Government Update
UPDATE: Friday 23 April, 2020
Learning Links Update
- Learning Links is now offering psychological therapy online, using Zoom video sessions.
- Online sessions for Specialist Tutoring and Speech Therapy will commence in the coming weeks – more information will be available for families who are interested in these services.
- Our HIPPY, MyTime, 1-2-3 Magic and Engagement Adolescents parenting programs have now transitioned to online delivery.
- Additional online programs have been developed, including webinars for parents and teaching professionals.
- Learning Links Preschool and Prep 4 Preschool will be operating in Term 2, continuing to following the necessary hygiene and social distancing advice to ensure the safety of families and staff. Online staff support, home learning activities and resources are available for families who have opted in for the home learning program.
- Out of School Hours Care at McCallums Hill Public School will be operating in Term 2, continuing to following the necessary hygiene and social distancing advice to ensure the safety of families and staff.
- The temporary suspension of one-on-one support services at Learning Links Centres and schools will continue until further notice.
Government Update
- NSW school students will be learning from home when Term 2 commences. The NSW Premier and Minister for Education have announced a phased operating model for NSW schools during COVID-19. The new model will see students being reintroduced to some face-to-face learning on campus starting from week 3. More information can be found on the NSW Department of Education website.
- The Australian Government continues to advise the community to stay home wherever possible:
- Don’t leave home unless you have to.
- You should avoid leaving your house for any non-essential activity.
- Don’t invite family or friends into your home.
- Stay at home unless you are:
- going to work or education (if you are unable to do so at home)
- shopping for essential supplies such as groceries (return home without delay)
- going out for personal exercise in the neighbourhood, on your own or with one other person
- attending medical appointments or compassionate visits.
- Medical services, supermarkets, banks, petrol stations, postal and home delivery services remain open.
UPDATE: Sunday 29 March, 2020
Learning Links Update
- Learning Links has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend all one-on-one support services at Learning Links Centres and schools from Monday 30 March.
- The following services will continue until further notice: Learning Links Preschool, Prep 4 Preschool, Out of School Hours Care at McCallums Hill Public School, HIPPY, MyTime, 1-2-3 Magic and Engagement Adolescents parenting programs.
- Learning Links is now offering psychological therapy online, using zoom.
- Learning Links is close to finalising a plan for alternative online delivery of other services and will notify families when they can access these services.
Government Update
Indoor and Outdoor Public gatherings
National Cabinet agreed to limit both indoor and outdoor gatherings to two persons only.
Exceptions to this limit include:
- People of the same household going out together;
- Funerals – a maximum of 10 people;
- Wedding – a maximum of 5 people;
- Family units.
Individual states and territories may choose to mandate and/or enforce this requirement.
National Cabinet’s strong guidance to all Australians is to stay home unless for:
- shopping for what you need – food and necessary supplies;
- medical or health care needs, including compassionate requirements;
- exercise in compliance with the public gathering requirements;
- work and study if you can’t work or learn remotely.
National Cabinet agreed that playgrounds, skate parks and outside gyms in public places will be closed. Bootcamps will be reduced to two persons, including the trainer.
These measures will be in place from midnight Monday 30 March 2020.
Social Distancing – further measures
States and territories agreed they would implement further social distancing measures specific to their own region, including closing categories of venues, where medical advice supported this action. These measures would be risk-based and targeted at non-essential activities.
Australians will still be able to access the goods and services needed to safely and sustainably live their lives.
Advice for Senior Australians including those with existing health conditions
Coronavirus has more serious impacts on older Australians, those over 70 years of age and Australians with existing health conditions or comorbidities.
National Cabinet’s strong advice is for self-isolation at home to the maximum extent practicable for Australians:
- over 70 years of age;
- over 60 years of age who have existing health conditions or comorbidities;
- indigenous Australians over the age of 50 who have existing health conditions or comorbidities.
These groups should limit contact with others as much as possible when they travel outside.
Commercial and residential tenancies
As part of its work on helping businesses hibernate, National Cabinet agreed that short-term intervention is needed for commercial tenancies. Work on this has begun, but there is more to do, including for residential tenancies.
National Cabinet agreed to a moratorium on evictions over the next six months for commercial and residential tenancies in financial distress who are unable to meet their commitments due to the impact of coronavirus.
UPDATE: Friday 27 March, 2020
Learning Links Update
- Learning Links has made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend all one-on-one support services at Learning Links Centres and schools from Monday 30th March (Last sessions this Saturday March 28).
- The following services will continue until further notice: Learning Links Preschool, Prep 4 Preschool, Out of School Hours Care at McCallums Hill Public School, HIPPY, MyTime, 1-2-3 Magic and Engagement Adolescents parenting programs
- Learning Links is close to finalising a plan for alternative online delivery of services and will notify families when they can access these services.
UPDATE: Wednesday 25 March, 2020
Learning Links Update
- Learning Links has made the decision to cancel all group April school holiday programs – individual families will be contacted.
- Learning Links is close to finalising a plan for alternative online delivery of services and will notify families when they can access these services.
Government Update
From midnight Wednesday 25 March 2020, the following activities and businesses will no longer be allowed to continue operating:
- Amusement parks and arcades
- Indoor and outdoor play centres
- Community and recreation centres, health clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre, spin facilities, saunas, wellness centres
- Swimming pools
- Galleries, museums, national institutions, historic sites, libraries, community centres
- Auction houses
- Real estate auctions and open house inspections
- In-store beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons and tattoo parlours, spa and massage parlours (excluding health-related services, like physiotherapy)
- Food courts within shopping centres will only be able to sell takeaway. Shopping centres themselves will remain open
The Prime Minister has also placed limitations on other activities:
- Hairdressers and barber shops can continue, but they must limit the time a customer is in the premise to no more than 30 minutes
- Outdoor personal training and boot camps are limited to a maximum of 10 people
- Weddings can continue, but only with the couple, the celebrant, and witnesses — totaling a maximum of five people
- Funerals are limited to a maximum of 10 people
- Outdoor and indoor food markets will be addressed by individual states and territories
Australians would be banned from travelling overseas, with some exceptions made for aid workers and for compassionate, employment and other essential travel.
The advice on schools from the Australian Government has not changed, advising it is safe to send children to school. The NSW Government is still asking families to keep their children at home where possible.
UPDATE: Monday 23 March, 2020
Learning Links Update
- Following recent government updates (outlined below) regarding the closure of non-essential services, Learning Links will continue with one-on-one sessions until further notice.
- Strict hygiene and distancing practices will be applied.
- Families will be contacted individually if there are any changes needing to be made to their sessions.
- Learning Links is close to finalising a plan for alternative online delivery of services and will notify families when they can access these services.
Government Update
- From 12pm 23 March 2020, the following facilities will be restricted from opening:
– Pubs, registered and licenced clubs (excluding bottle shops attached to these venues), hotels (excluding accommodation)
– Gyms and indoor sporting venues
– Cinemas, entertainment venues, casinos, and night clubs
– Restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway and/or home delivery
– Religious gatherings, places of worship or funerals (in enclosed spaces and other than very small groups and where social distancing rules apply). - All non-essential travel should be cancelled.
- The official advice from the Australian Government and health officials is that schools will remain open, however NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian has asked families to keep children home where possible.
- Social distancing recommendations remain in place, including the advice to stay 1.5m from other people at all times where possible.
- The situation continues to change daily. The most up to date information is available at: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert
UPDATE: Friday 20 March, 2020
Government Update
- From 9pm AEDT 20 March 2020, only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members can travel to Australia.
- The travel advice for all Australians wanting to go overseas is “Do Not Travel Abroad”. This advice will remain in place indefinitely.
- There is a ban on non-essential indoor gatherings of 100 people or more. Australians are still advised to stay away from non-essential outdoor gatherings of 500 or more.
- The official advice is that schools will remain open for the foreseeable future, based on the advice of health officials.
- There are new measures in place for visiting elderly relatives in aged care.
- The chief medical officer has said a shut down of the country is not recommended by the experts.
- Social distancing recommendations remain in place, including advice to stay 1.5m away from others, and not to hand shake or hug.
- Scott Morrison has urged people to stop panic-buying.
Learning Links Update
- Following these recent updates, sessions at Learning Links centres will continue until further notice.
- Learning Links continues to work on a plan for alternative online delivery of services and will notify families as soon as these services are available.
UPDATE: Tuesday 17 March, 2020
Government Update
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that COVID-19 is a pandemic, which is an epidemic that spreads on a global scale. The situation is changing rapidly. Up to date information is available at: https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert
- All travellers to Australia will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
- People who have travelled in the last 14 days must self-isolate for 14 days from the day they returned.
- The Prime Minister has announced, at this time, the best approach for students, staff and the broader community is for schools to remain open.
Learning Links Update
- All sessions at Learning Links centres will continue as normal until further notice.
- Should a child or member of staff be tested as positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Learning Links will follow the directives of the Health Department.
- Do not bring your child to a Learning Links centre or service if they have flu-like symptoms – you should keep your child at home until the symptoms have cleared.
- Learning Links professionals are following NSW Health recommendations for social distancing and best hygiene standards:
- Washing hands regularly with soap and water and applying hand sanitiser,
- Maintaining a 1.5m distance from children where possible,
- Only using resources in centres and schools that are absolutely required,
- Cleaning toys/resources/service delivery desks and chairs regularly with disinfectant, and
- Using low cost disposable resources (eg pencils etc).
- Learning Links is currently working on a plan for alternative online delivery of services where possible and will notify families when these services become available.
- All previously provided information is available below as a reminder (Preschool and Prep 4 Preschool families to refer to previous information shared by the Early Childhood Education Directorate about recommendations for Early Childhood Settings and Programs).
