As the pandemic carries on, with the omicron variant continues to spread in our community members have raised the question of how much financial support is still available to help cover sick leave for staff needing to isolate. Many members have reported having staff that live with multiple house mates being required to isolate several times as a household contact.
There is no fixed number of claims per individual but employers need to be sure that when they make a claim, (and in so doing sign the declaration Declaration – COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme – Work and Income), that they have enough evidence to satisfy themselves and any subsequent checks that IRD or MSD may make.
In most cases this only needs to be a record of which employees were affected and when they isolated, and ideally which category (household contact etc.) they fall under. But for repeated claims we would encourage employers to seek and retain more evidence.
In some situations, an employee will be provided with evidence they are in one of the affected groups. This may be a letter, email or self-isolation certificate issued by a doctor, the National Contact Tracing team, or a Medical Officer of Health. Ideally for those that are claiming to be infected a subsequent time within 90 days, this letter should state:
- that they have had a supervised RAT test or PCR test showing a positive COVID result.
- that they need to self isolate for a further four to seven days.
If an employer states that they or their employee has received such a certificate, MSD will consider this as being an instruction to self-isolate.
After-effects of COVID/Long COVID
MSD will not accept claims in respect of employees who are suffering from the after effects of having COVID, (even with a doctors certificate), as the employee is not regarded as infectious at this time.
Eligibility for the Leave Support Scheme
The Leave Support Scheme is available in respect of any individual required to isolate by the MOH (and cannot work from home) because:
- they have Covid-19, having returned a positive test, or
- they are a Household contact of someone with Covid-19
Who is a Household Contact?
A household contact is defined as someone who either:
- normally shares a residence with and has spent at least one day or one night in the residence with a positive case while infectious (three days before showing symptoms), or
- has spent a night together with a positive case while infectious
Any individual who has
- been a positive themselves within the previous 90 days, or
- been in isolation as a Household Contact within the previous 10 days
will not be considered as a household contact for the purposes of isolation.
A household contact is required to isolate from the day that the first person in the household receives a positive test result until they complete 7 days with a negative test on day 3 and day 7.
Note:
- the isolation ends on the same day as the first ‘case’ in the household, provided the day 3 and day 7 tests are negative.
- isolation does not restart if additional members of the household are identified as cases during the first case’s isolation period.
- after the initial isolation period ends there is a 10-day window during which no Household Contacts of the original case can be re-classified as Household Contacts. Isolation would only start again during these 10 days if an individual tested positive themselves.
- more than 10 days after the original isolation period ends the usual rules apply. If a new household member (not the original case) tests positive, they and all other Household Contacts (who have not yet become cases themselves) must isolate for 7 days.
MSD will not accept any consecutive claims without break for someone isolating as a household contact.
Positive Cases
For 90 days following a first positive test no RAT should be taken. If an individual has an underying health condition or has symptoms that after 24 hours are getting worse they should seek advice from a health practitioner or call Healthline on 0800 358 5453.
After 90 days after first testing positive the same advice as for a first infection should be followed.
If an individual gets Covid again then their household contacts will need to isolate again unless as above, they have:
- had COVID-19 within the previous 90 days, or
- been in isolation as a Household Contact within the previous 10 days.
MSD advise that for any employees with symptoms getting a positive test a subsequent time within 90 days, an employer should require the employee to get a supervised RAT or PCR test as within 90 days it is possible that tests still show positive but from the first infection.