Asymptomatic close contacts who are "critical" workers in the grocery and manufacturing sectors will be given an isolation exemption to attend work in New South Wales as the state battles growing supply-chain issues.
Pictures of empty shelves in supermarkets have become commonplace as COVID-19 infections rise in the country, forcing employees into isolation as either positive cases or close contacts.
In a statement released on Sunday morning, NSW Health said the change would "ensure the state has continued access to essential goods".
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"Workers will only be eligible to leave self-isolation if their employer determines that their absence from the workplace poses a high risk of disruption to the delivery of critical services or activities, and they are unable to work from home," the statement read.
"These workers must wear a mask and comply with risk-management strategies put in place by their employer, including daily Rapid Antigen Tests."
The changes come into effect immediately, and will apply to workers in the following sectors:
- Agriculture (biosecurity and food safety personnel undertaking critical duties)
- Manufacturing (production and manufacturing of food, beverages, groceries, cleaning and sanitary products)
- Transport, postal and warehousing (food logistics, delivery and grocery fulfilment)
Emergency services employees necessary for the delivery of critical services and who cannot work from home are also covered by the changes.
The new rules come as NSW recorded 30,062 new COVID-19 cases and 16 deaths on Sunday.
Similar changes could come into effect in other regions in the coming days and weeks too, with Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd confirming state and territory leaders are meeting to discuss the impact rising Omicron infections are having on supermarket supplies.
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"They are looking at this issue and looking at what might be modified with the requirements and restrictions in order to ensure supply chain and supply lines continue," Professor Kidd said.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said the federal public service responsible for supply chains is also making considerations into the supply chain issue.
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Empty supermarket shelves have had Australian shoppers recalling similar scenes at the start of 2020.
However, unlike at the start of the pandemic, when supply shortages were caused by panic buying and predominantly impacted non-perishable goods (and, of course, toilet paper), the current issues are impacting fresh food as well, and have been caused by worker unavailability.
On Friday, Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci said the spread of the Omicron variant had forced 20 per cent of its distribution workers in isolation, and ten per cent of its in-store employees.
Coles, meanwhile, has introduced buying limits for a number of in-demand products, including rapid antigen tests.
