When a person is tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) they also provide their contact details.
If the test shows that the person has coronavirus (COVID-19), their test results and contact details are sent to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). DHHS will then contact the person with coronavirus (COVID-19) to undertake contact tracing.
Contact tracing helps the government understand how someone may have caught coronavirus (COVID-19), and to identify any close contacts of the person to ensure they isolate at home.
Identifying positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) and their close contacts is essential to help slow the spread of coronavirus in our communities.
Source: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/contact-tracing-data-covid-19
To support contact tracing, the Victorian Government require businesses, workplaces and premises to request each person who attends the premise for more than 15 minutes provide their:
For more information please visit: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/record-keeping-contact-tracing-information-business
RMIT University has comprehensive contact tracing processes in place as part of their CovidSafe Plan and Return to campus processes (e.g. Swipe card access, WiFi contact tracing etc). They are required to undertake certain processes by the State Government regarding contract tracing.
RUSU staff and student representatives will be covered by the RMIT processes while on campus and required to comply with RMIT requirements (e.g. module completion, swipe card tapping, activating WiFi etc).
However, RUSU will be responsible for contact tracing for certain RUSU services and activities. These include:
Note: In semester one, 2021, RUSU will not be undertaking in–person consultations with students on campus (e.g. Student Rights, Compass) and contact tracing will not be implemented for these operational areas.
Contact tracing data will be collected for all RUSU Events and RUSU Club Activities, where contact tracing is NOT undertaken by an external venue. E.g. picnic in the park, informal city walking tour.
All RUSU Events and RUSU Club events will need to submit an event brief and risk assessment. This will identify if contact tracing is being conducted by an external venue (e.g. Oxford Scholar Bar, Dumplings restaurant), or if RUSU QR Codes will be used.
Realfoods Café will have QR Codes and table numbers at each table and the Point of Sale and staff will prompt customers who order ‘dine-in’ to scan the QR Code when they order (further details available in the Realfoods Covid Safe Operational Plan).
This does NOT apply to the external seating at Bundoora as that is not part of the Realfoods lease and is covered by RMIT contact tracing procedures.
There are separate forms and data storage for the 4 areas of RUSU contact tracing (there is a separate QR code and form for each of the Bundoora cafes).
The data collected on the form will comply with government requirements and will NOT be used for any purpose beyond contact tracing.
Contact tracing data will be stored in a secure electronic database administered by RUSU. This will only be accessible to RUSU’s Governance and Operations Manager and the Student Liaison and Admin Team Lead. RUSU Clubs will not have access to the data for their individual Club Events and must direct any contact tracing query to RUSU.
RUSU’s Governance and Operations Manager and the Student Liaison and Admin Team Lead will be the contacts point for the Victorian Dept of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the RMIT Contact Tracing team, in the event that there is a need to access contact tracing data for a specific RUSU event or location.
Data will be shared with DHHS and the RMIT Contact Tracing Team as required.
In recognition that contact tracers may need to contact RUSU outside of regular business hours, the RMIT contact tracers will be provided with the mobile contacts for both RUSU contacts. The RUSU Governance and Operations Manager will be primary RUSU contact for out of hours access to data.
Contact tracing records will be destroyed as soon as practicable after 28 days from the date of collection in line with the DHHS guidelines. https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/record-keeping-contact-tracing-information-business
The Student Liaison and Admin Team Lead will delete data once a month. To ensure at least 28 days of data is stored the routine data deletion will be scheduled at the beginning of the month for data created during the period two months prior i.e. all data collected in March will be deleted on 1 May.
RUSU will support our staff, student representatives and Club leaders to undertake compliant contact tracing using the RUSU QR Code system.
This MUST be included in event plans and risk assessments. Use of the QR Code system is compulsory where events are not held at external venues that have compliant contact tracing in place. The RUSU QR Code process cannot be replaced with paper attendance lists by clubs or RUSU departments. Centralised data management by the designated RUSU staff is essential.
RUSU will provide RUSU branded simple QR Code posters with instructions for event participants and instructions for Event Organisers/Club Leaders.
RUSU Events (all departments)
RUSU Club Events
RUSU Realfoods Café
