Highlight
- Covid test is free in Public testing clinic
- Unless there is an emergency, stay at home for the duration of self-isolation
- Get tested even with the slightest symptoms, be honest if tracers contact you
Lisa Tamaoki-De Pinto is one of the many hundreds of NSW contact tracers working around the clock to keep Australian Safe.
Lisa joined the team of "gold standard tracers"- as Prime Minister Scott Morrison has praised on numerous occasions- in August, after all international flights for Qantas where she worked for 8 years was grounded indefinitely.
We asked the Japanese speaking contact tracer, important information regarding contact tracing and the role we all have, in keeping ourselves, our loved ones and all Australians safe.
Questions were developed in conjunction with, and approved by NSW Health.
Contact Tracing is a way of slowing the spread of infection by identifying people who have come in contact with an infected person.
You will be contacted by the contact tracing team if there has been a positive case around you.
Tracers will ask for information such as your age, gender, address, and whether you have any covid symptoms. And if the case was in a restaurant for example, the tracers will ask you where you were seated.
The information will only be used for contact tracing purposes, and will not be shared outside of NSW Health.
“All your information is confidential” says Lisa.
The tracers are contacting you to make sure that you are ok, and to direct you to testing and isolation.
If you are self-isolating at home, and there are other family members at home, it is recommended that you try and isolate yourself in a room. You should wear a mask if you are in the same room and keep 1.5 meter distance.
“You should regularly clean with bleach, especially if you are sharing bathrooms”
If you are from a large family and isolation is difficult, the contract tracers can arrange you to stay at a quarantine hotel. The tracers can also help you arrange your groceries and medicines for your isolation period, if access to these are difficult. The tracers are there to assist you, so don’t be afraid to ask.
The important thing is that you stay isolated until you have your test result and are well. Results are usually out within 24-48 hours.
“However, the test result can change. You might be a negative at first, but could turn into a positive later, so it is important to have repeat test” says Lisa.
All this information over the phone could be difficult, if English is your second language. If you have difficulty communicating, the tracers can arrange a free interpreter for you. Fortunately, Lisa herself has not spoken to Japanese close contact herself, but knows from other large communities, such as the Lebanese community, that this translation service is very comforting for those who are unsure about English.
There are also Covid-19 information in over 52 languages, including Japanese, and can be accessed from here
For Japanese here
The Covid-19 test is free for all, if taken at a public Covid-19 clinic.
The most important message Lisa wants to tell the community is “Test, Test, Test”.
“ If people can be honest with their information when contact tracers contact you, or be honest with the information you digitally check in with, it is a huge help for us” says Lisa.
“And please wear a mask when appropriate, and carry them with you at all times”
Lisa says although her work comes with lot of responsibilities, and pressure to not to make any mistakes, she says it's an enjoyable and rewarding job to keep Australia safe.
Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, even mild symptoms, should get tested at a COVID-19 testing clinic.
You can contact your GP or healthdirect 1800 022 222, or visit NSW government website https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19 to find your nearest COVID 19 testing clinics.
If you have questions and need support:
· Call 1800 020 080 (24/7) for health questions or to check symptoms.
· Call 13 77 88 (24/7) for non-health related questions.
· Call 1800 512 348 (24/7) for mental wellbeing support.
· For a free telephone interpreter, please contact TIS National on 131 450 and say the language you need. You can then ask the interpreter to connect you to the number you wish to contact.
If you have questions about the testing and contact tracing:
· Contact your GP or healthdirect 1800 022 222
