Prepare for COVID-19

Here are a few simple steps you can take to keep yourself, your friends and your family safe:

• Stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations.
• Get tested - no matter how mild your symptoms are.
• Stay at home while you have symptoms, so you don’t infect other people.
• Maintain a distance of 1.5 metres away from others where possible. Consider wearing a mask in crowded situations.
• Know your risk with COVID-19 or influenza, for example if you have a chronic health condition. Discuss with your doctor what you should do if you get symptoms, including if they recommend you take antiviral medication.
• Prepare a COVID-19 kit and care plan.

COVID-19 kit

If you test positive to COVID-19, you should stay at home until you feel better.

Most people who are fully vaccinated and get COVID-19 or the flu will experience mild symptoms and can care for themselves at home. Others may need to contact their GP for advice and management (including medication) and a few will need to go to hospital.

To prepare, it’s always best to be ready with a COVID-19 kit.

Your kit should include:

• a thermometer
• pain relief
• your regular medications
• a plan for who can look after your children, pets, or people in your care if you have to go to hospital
• face masks, hand sanitiser and gloves
• phone numbers for people you can call if you need help including your GP
• stay-at-home activities to keep you entertained
• a COVID-19 care plan in case you get COVID-19
  • you can give it to your health worker or doctor if you need to go to hospital.

COVID-19 care plan

The COVID-19 care plan includes important information about you, your health and people in your household.

You can share it with:

• your health worker or doctor
• other health workers such as disability carers
• hospital staff
• a friend or family member.

Choose a plan:

• COVID-19 care plan for adults PDF (290.2 KB)
• COVID-19 care plan for parents/carers and children PDF (350.0 KB).

Talk to your clinic or GP in advance

People with underlying chronic disease, older people and people on some medications may benefit from medication when they get COVID-19. In these groups it decreases the chance of severe illness and needing to go to hospital.

Check your health risk to decide whether you need to talk to your GP in advance about medications for COVID-19.