Information for Students

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are a close contact, please follow the state guidelines outlined here

Here’s a few important guidelines. 

Positive rapid antigen test results

If you are a confirmed positive case, you must:

• Self-isolate for a minimum of 7 days
• At Day 7, if symptoms are still present, continue isolating until symptoms clear
• If no symptoms are present after Day 7, you can leave self-isolation. No testing is required.

COVID-19 close contacts

A close contact is:

• a household member or intimate partner of a person with COVID-19 who has had contact with them during their infectious period,
• someone who has had close personal interaction with a person with COVID-19 during their infectious period, where they spent 4 hours of cumulative contact with them in a residential setting (including a home, residential care facility, boarding school, maritime vessel or other accommodation facility) in any 24-hour period where masks have been removed by both people during the period of contact
• someone who is informed by WA Health that they are a close contact.

Infectious period

The infectious period is taken from 48 hours before onset of symptoms, or 48 hours before the positive test result if they do not have symptoms, until the end of their isolation period. For example, if they first tested positive on Wednesday afternoon, their infectious period started on Monday afternoon.

What to do if you are a close contact

Notify AVT that you are a close contact. Your 7-day close contact period begins from:

• For household contacts: the date of the case’s positive test
• For other close contact: the last time you had contact with the person who tested positive

Close contacts with symptoms

• Close contacts with symptoms must continue to isolate until symptoms resolve and get tested as per existing protocols.
• Once symptoms have resolved, close contacts who are not cases should follow the protocols for close contacts with no symptoms (see below) for the balance of the 7-day isolation period.
• If a close contact tests positive, they must isolate for 7 days after their positive test result and follow the requirements for positive COVID-19 cases.

See the What to do if you are a COVID-19 close contact (PDF 295KB) fact sheet for a summary of the requirements when you’re a close contact.

Close contacts with no symptoms

• Close contacts with no symptoms may leave the home during their 7 day isolation period, provided that you have obtained a negative result from a rapid antigen test undertaken on each day on which you propose to leave isolation. You must:
  • be able to provide photographic evidence of a negative result from a rapid antigen test taken by you on that day
  • wear a mask including from when you leave home until you return
  • avoid high-risk settings, including hospitals, healthcare settings, disability and aged care facilities, and correctional facilities
  • avoid non-essential gatherings and contact with people at risk of severe illness
  • work from home, where possible.

AVT follows the WA Government mandatory workforce COVID-19 vaccination requirements. This means that, from June 2022, evidence of mandatory vaccinations will no longer be required.

For more detailed information about COVID-19 vaccination in WA, please visit: Our Mandatory Vaccination in WA FAQ’s.

If you have tested positive to COVID-19 or are a close contact, you should refer to the guidelines and recommendations for your state.  You can find links to this information here:- https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/testing-positive 

Please do not be concerned, if necessary you will be able to apply for an extension for your course duration. 

We encourage you to contact us to discuss your personal situation in further detail.

We recommend that you use any time of isolation to complete the theoretical requirements of the course. This means reading and reviewing all course materials in Moodle and completing all of the theory-based online quizzes and assessments.  Once you can return to your work placement you can continue focusing your time on completing the practical elements of your course. 

Each unit of your qualification outlines assessment requirements. These requirements explain the conditions under which we must assess your ability to perform certain tasks.

This means only a relatively few assessments can be completed at home with your own pets. If you are unable to complete an assessment at your work placement please contact us for guidance.

We recommend that you use any time of isolation to complete the theoretical requirements of the course. This means reading and reviewing all course materials in Moodle and completing all of the theory-based online quizzes and assessments.  Once you can return to your work placement you can continue focusing your time on completing the practical elements of your course. 

We realise making a decision to change your career or embark on a career is not an easy one. We also know the people who decide on a career working with animals are passionate about animals and their care. Our team would be devastated to find out you chose not to pursue your career in this area as a result of limited work placements caused by COVID-19.  

For this reason, we advise you not to be discouraged at this point in time. Instead, we encourage you to focus on the theoretical requirements of the course. This way, you will be armed with the essential knowledge required to complete your practical training in a workplace, when you can find a work placement.

DTWD/Jobs & Skills WA funded students can apply for concessional rates at any time throughout the course if their circumstances change. Concessional fees will only be applied to any units that you have not yet commenced. Although funded concessions are administered through AVT, they are approved and paid for by Jobs and Skills WA and not AVT. You must meet the eligibility criteria as per the VET Fees and Charges Policy.