Coronavirus (COVID-19)

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO STUDENTS AND STAFF: CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

Tuesday 3 May 2022

Important notice to students and staff: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

At Macquarie Community College (MCC) we are committed to putting our community first. These are the proactive steps we are taking to ensure your safety.

We Monitor and Act on the Official Advice of Government and Industry Bodies

We maintain all COVID-19 restrictions put in place at any given time by the NSW Government or relevant industry bodies.

As the COVID-19 situation is changing on a regular basis, Macquarie Community College monitors the situation closely and reviews advice regularly to ensure we are responding appropriately to changing levels of restrictions and requirements.

What You Need To Know

It was great to see so many students back in class across our campuses during Term 1!

The Term 2 Catalogue is out now. Be sure to enrol early to secure your place!

We will continue to have a selection of delivery modes available to our students, with face-to-face, online and mixed mode learning options.

Classes will run in keeping with the NSW Department of Education’s NSW Return to VET Guidelines, relevant NSW Health public health orders and our updated COVID-19 Safety Plan.

While we are very excited to be returning to normal, we understand that it is still a time of significant uncertainty and change. We request and appreciate your support in navigating any changing requirements.

As the start dates approach for each class, we will keep you informed of any changes or cancellations to scheduled classes.

In the event that a scheduled class cannot be run we will be in touch about reschedules, cancellations, credits and refunds.

Our COVID-19 Safety Plan includes the following key principles:

Vaccination is strongly recommended for students attending to face-to-face classes.

Staff and students with even the mildest of symptoms, such as a headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat or runny nose, should not attend the college, even if fully vaccinated, and follow the current NSW Health household and close contact guidelines .

All staff, students and visitors to our sites will be required to follow a range of safety measures including use of hand sanitiser and managing common area usage and wearing masks, where required.

Ventilation of training rooms will be site-specific where everything practical will be done to promote natural airflow.

Sanitisation and cleaning equipment and processes are in place at all sites.

Check in procedures are currently not required.

Due to changes to the COVID-19 rules in NSW on 25th February 2022, masks are no longer mandatory in the College. However they are still encouraged in indoor environments for students and staff where you cannot maintain a safe distance from others.

Due to changes to the COVID-19 rules in NSW on 22 April 2022, close contacts (household contact or an individual deemed by NSW Health to be a close contact) will NOT have to isolate if they don’t have symptoms. However, they still need to follow a number of guidelines for 7 days from the date of the COVID-19 positive person’s test.

These include:
1. Wearing a face mask in indoor settings outside the home,
2. Undertaking daily rapid antigen tests before attending class,
3. Avoiding contact with elderly or immunocompromised people where possible, and
4. Notifying Macquarie Community College before attending class or coming on campus. Please call 1300 845 888 if this relates to you.

Some specific arrangements may vary, and additional regulations may apply for some community venues, specific courses and for students and staff covered under the Public Health Order covering schools, aged care and childcare. These requirements are being added to the class details as they become available, and all students enrolled in courses that may be affected will be directly advised of the requirements that apply.

Any student or staff member that has recently attended the college and tests positive for COVID-19 must inform the College. All information will be treated with confidentiality and in accordance with our privacy policy. Please call or email your trainer who will inform their manager.

For more information on our COVID-19 safety plan read more below, contact our Customer Service Team on 1300 845 888 or info@macquarie.nsw.edu.au

The MCC staff team are continuing to work on a business-as-usual basis and can be contacted by phone, email or through our website and our campuses are open to the public.

One thing we have learned is to be flexible, have a back-up plan and respond as quickly as possible to the COVID-19 situation.

Mixed modes of learning – Remote and in-person (on campus) classes

We have developed our remote learning capability during the rapidly changing times of COVID-19.

In addition to our face-to-face classes on campus and in community venues we now have an extensive range and a wide variety of online learning options.

Our COVID-19 safety plan involves offering mixed modes of learning – in person and remote. We can switch between modes should it be required.

The focus is keeping you safe and keeping you learning. For the most up to date class information, check out our website for further details about our programs.

If you would like to contact us about a current class you are enrolled in, or a future class that you would like to enrol in our friendly Customer Service Team remain available to assist you with any questions you may have:

Phone: Call 1300 845 888

Email: info@macquarie.nsw.edu.au

Live Chat: www.macquarie.nsw.edu.au

Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates from the College.

Help us keep our College community COVID-Safe

We ask that all students, staff and visitors follow our strict COVID-19 protocols when visiting our campuses:

DO NOT ATTEND in person if you are feeling symptomatic and/or have any flu-like symptoms and coughs – stay home from class and seek medical advice.

DO NOT ATTEND if you are awaiting results of a COVID-19 test and have been told to self-isolate.

DO NOT ATTEND if you have tested positive for COVID-19 and have not completed your isolation period as per the current test and isolate protocols.

NOTIFY THE COLLEGE before attending class or coming on campus if you are a close contact who does not need to isolate.

BEFORE YOU ENTER you will be required to sanitise your hands and maintain safe distances.

You must follow all instructions and signage about social distancing, hand and cough hygiene – verbally from staff or on signage and notices.

Helpful Links

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Information for people who test positive for COVID-19 or are close contacts (other languages)

NSW Health Household and Close Contact Guidelines

If you have COVID-19 or are a close contact