20 March 2020 JUNE 19 202 – Update – For more recent information please see this article here With so much being reported about the evolving 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, I wanted to reach out personally to discuss the actions and precautions we are taking. The health and safety of our students and staff is always our top priority. Whilst the overall risk in Australia of contracting COVID-19 in the community currently remains low, each day brings details of new confirmed cases of infection and it would be irresponsible of us not to take caution from these incidents. We are closely monitoring the guidance of the World Health Organisation (www.who.int), the Australian Government Department of Health (www.health.gov.au) and the National VET regulator (www.asqa.gov.au), who are providing regular updates and advice. Here’s what we’re doing: We have provided hand sanitisers and disinfectant wipes for use in our training centres. We are cleaning our facilities frequently with recommended sanitising products. We have posted government-issued fact sheets and advice on steps to reduce the threat of infection in each of our rooms and strengthened our health and hygiene discussions with students during the induction to each face-to-face class. In addition, we are taking steps to ensure the welfare of our employees. This includes instructing staff who feel ill or exhibit symptoms consistent with COVID-19 to self-isolate and consult with their healthcare providers when appropriate. We are also urging all staff to be vigilant about frequent hand washing. The Department of Education, Skills and Employment has issued updated guidance on travel restrictions and exclusion periods in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak in affected countries, including mainland China, Iran, Italy and the Republic of Korea. If you have recently returned from one of these countries, we strongly suggest that you follow the advice to self-isolate for the recommended 14 days. The department have also urged providers to consider flexible arrangements for students who have been directly impacted by travel restrictions or isolation periods. We will certainly support our students however we can, to minimise any disruption to their study. If you are scheduled to attend a MRWED face-to-face class and you are worried about exposure, please feel free to contact us, so we can organise a suitable alterative study option, with no penalty. This could include a change of mode to online study or a postponement of your training to future dates. For now, all our scheduled classes remain available. However, we know that things could change rapidly in the coming days and weeks. We will continue to consult with government officials and health professionals regarding additional steps to take. MRWED are committed to providing the best learning solutions in the safest way possible. Moving forward, this may mean that adjustments will be necessary to protect students, staff and the wider community. For more information on COVID-19, read the latest news from the Department of Health at www.health.gov.au/news. Marc Ratcliffe CEO – MRWED Training and Assessment