The Northern Territory Government of Australia introduces a new health direction that allows workers essential to the operation of critical front-line services to continue working even in close contact with COVID-19 cases. Did.
Issued on Monday, this instruction will be issued as long as employees such as health care, child care, and supermarket workers who are considered to be in close contact are fully vaccinated and undergo a daily rapid antigen test (RAT). It means you can go forward and work.
Northern Territory Prime Minister Michael Gunner Said As OMICRON spreads on Monday, managing COVID-19 involves ensuring that important territory services are open and staffed.
This was after daily COVID-19 cases in the territory peaked at 594 on Saturday, and due to the high number of close contacts, staff shortages across multiple businesses and services became a state business. Affecting and exposing supermarket shelves. A general sight.
Gunner said new measures have been introduced to enable key frontline staff to continue to carry out their essential missions.
“Childcare workers who are in close contact but have no symptoms can continue to work while wearing masks and continue to be tested if the nursery needs to remain open,” he said. I did.
“Supermarket workers in close contact can wear masks and continue to work with negative and asymptomatic tests as long as they are away from common places such as break rooms. “
Gunner reiterated that the direction applies only to the essential workers needed to keep the place functioning.
Meanwhile, Shadow Health Minister Bill Yan said in a social media post that “key workers do not have to go to work if they are isolated and intimate, but they can choose to go to work.”
Dr. Robert Parker, NT President of the Australian Medical Association, said the balance needed to be balanced and welcomed the move.
“We need to strike a balance between a safe society and a functioning society,” he told the Epoch Times on Tuesday.
“People need to get food and services.”
Meanwhile, the lockout of unvaccinated residents ended on Monday, and the local government has introduced a new vaccine path that requires evidence of vaccination when entering certain areas of high risk. Did.
These venues include pubs, clubs, casinos, liquor licensed restaurants, cinemas, theaters, ticket events for over 500 people in urban areas or over 100 people in non-urban areas.
The Vaccine Path consists of a Vaccine Certificate linked to the Territory Check-in App.
Residents who have not been vaccinated will be off limits to these venues.
Gunner also sought to keep the Northern Territory residents’ response to the new mission away from the hospitality staff enforcing the order, saying that responsibility should rest with him, not them.
“It’s not our hospitality facility that’s responsible for this law, we do,” Gunner said.
“Don’t blame them. Blame me.”
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