The Public Health Orders (PHO) released on 23 August 2021 (read the orders here) alter the requirements for workers who:
- Live or work in an area of concern and leave this area for work;
- Work in early education and care or provide disability support;
- Live in Greater Sydney and travel 50 kilometres or more from Greater Sydney for work.
You can access a list of the areas of concern here.
The only people who can leave an area of concern for the purposes of work are authorised workers. A list of authorised workers is available here.
Requirements for workers who live or work in an area of concern
From 30 August 2021, if you live in an area of concern, are an authorised worker and work outside of the area of the concern you live in you must:
- have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine OR have been issued a medical contraindication certificate; OR
- your workplace has a rapid antigen testing regime in place which has been approved by NSW Health.
When an authorised worker leaves the area of concern they live in they must carry:
- evidence of their vaccination; and
- evidence showing their name and place of residence.
From 30 August 2021, you must have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine OR have been issued a medical contraindication certificate if you*:
- work in early education and care or provide disability support services in person to a person with a disability for work (including a disability support worker, school learning support officer or other worker who provides care to a person with a disability); AND
- live in an area of concern; OR
- work in an area of concern, but do not live in an area of concern.
*Please note a worker in this category must have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine whether their workplace has rapid antigen testing or not.
When a worker in early education and care or who provides disability support services enters their workplace, they must carry:
- evidence of their vaccination; and
- evidence of their name and place of residence.
The PSA’s position is that all employers of authorised workers should implement rapid antigen testing, if at all possible. If there is no rapid antigen testing available at your workplace and/or you are unable to comply with the Order to have one dose of vaccine 30 August you should contact your manager and request the opportunity to work from home or at an alternative location within your LGA. If it is not reasonably practicable for you to work from home, you should seek to be placed on Special Leave. The PSA is in discussions with relevant employers and the Government in relation to this and will update members accordingly.
We will continue to advocate for our members to have priority access to vaccination. It has been announced there is priority Pfizer appointments being set up for authorised workers from areas of concern. You can access more information here.
From 28 August 2021, you will require a permit from Service NSW if you are
- an authorised worker who lives in an area of concern and leave the area of concern for the purposes of work; OR
- a worker who works in an area of concern and cannot work from home.
Lastly, the mandatory testing regime for the authorised workers that live in the LGAs of Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield and Cumberland has been discontinued in favour of the above increased requirements around vaccinations.
Requirements for workers leaving Greater Sydney
From 21 August 2021, you are required to have a permit from Service NSW if you go more than 50 kilometres from Greater Sydney for the purposes of work and:
- you are an authorised workers that lives in an area of concern OR
- you live in Greater Sydney, but not in an area of concern and cannot work from home.
You are able to apply for a permit from Service NSW here.
All other testing requirements for workers traveling outside of Greater Sydney still apply.
The Government’s response to this pandemic continues to change rapidly and the PSA is working hard to assist members as new and unprecedented situations arise.
Should members face any adverse action, they should contact the Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679, or contact their local Delegate, PSA Organiser or Industrial Officer.
This is general information only. You may need to seek specific advice from your employer regarding your circumstances.