Changes to Queensland COVID-19 Close Contact rules impacts food industry

With supermarket shelves empty due to food industry staff being required to stay home because they are close contacts of someone who has CVOVID-19, the governments across the country have realised that there need to be changes to the rules around close contacts.

In Queensland now, those who are double vaccinated and a close contact of someone with COVID-19 are able to go to work if they are considered as a essential worker and are asymptomatic. They will need to wear full PPE and only travel to and from work in their private vehicle. They can only go to work and straight back home. They must also  have  a Rapid Assay Test done on Day 6 to confirm that they remain asymptomatic. Any sign of symptoms at all and they must not come to work.

This will hopefully mean that our supermarket shelves are restocked and that the raw materials needed for manufacturing are received by our factories.

With all the rules we now have to follow to protect us and the community from COVID-19, and with those rules and requirements changing frequently, is very easy to lose track with what we are supposed to do and when.

Always go to the recognised places for information to ensure that it is the most up to date and correct, the Queensland Health website https://www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19 is the place for information in this state. Be aware that things can change  rapidly which can have big impacts, so checking this site regularly each day is a good idea.

Each food business should have a dedicated person who is responsible for checking this site each day and reporting whatever changes have happened. It is also essential that each business has a clear and direct way of communicating changes to all staff and that there are records of this communication.