COVID-19

You should test to see if you have COVID-19 using a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). 

You can get RATs from any Congress clinic.

If you don’t have symptoms but need a test because you are a close contact, you can pick up a test from any clinic and do the test yourself.  

You should have a test for COVID-19 if you feel sick, like cold or flu, have trouble breathing, loss or change of taste or smell, headache, fever, runny goonah, blocked nose, tired for no reason.

You should also get a test if you have been a close/household contact of someone who has COVID. That means if you have spent lots of time with them, especially indoors. A person with COVID might let you know that you have been a contact, or health mob or Congress might tell you. 

You can get a free Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) from any Congress clinic. Call 1800 142 900.   

If you are sick and don’t have a way to get to the clinic, we can organise a doctor to talk to you on the phone, and then work out the best way to help you.

Don’t panic. Now that COVID-19 is here, lots of us will test positive for COVID-19.

You should stay away from others and tell people you’ve been around that you have COVID.

You are not required to isolate, but should take all measures to avoid passing the virus on to others as it may make them very unwell. You should wear an n95 mask.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you may be infectious for up to 10 days. To reduce the risk to others, it is recommended you:

• stay home if unwell, even if your symptoms are mild
• practise personal hygiene including hand washing or using hand sanitiser
• maintain a distance of 1.5 metres away from others where possible
• wear a mask indoors and outdoors when social distancing is not possible
• avoid visiting people at high risk of severe illness, people in hospital, aged care or disability facility for at least 7 days.

Talk to your employer about when you should return to the workplace. If you work in a high-risk setting such as health, disability and aged care, you may be required to stay away from your workplace for longer to protect staff, patients, residents, and clients.

You should call the clinic the day you test positive. Some people will be able to have a medicine called an anti-viral, and this needs to start quickly to best help.

A Congress doctor will tell you if you should have this medicine, which is free for Aboriginal people who are eligible for it.