COVID-19 isolation protocols altered for Melbourne supermarket workers

Changes have been made to the COVID-19 isolation rules for many Melbourne supermarket workers.

3AW Drive has seen a copy of an email from the Health Department sent to grocers today outlining changes to quarantine requirements.

Under the changes, if a customer with COVID-19 attends a supermarket and it’s declared a Tier 2 site, workers will be considered Tier 3.

That means they won’t have to get tested or isolate unless they show symptoms.

The revised rules will only apply at large supermarket chains – Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Costco, IGA and Foodworks – within metropolitan Melbourne which have centralised management.

The rules do not apply to regional supermarkets.

If there are repeated exposures at a store, or another event which indicates staff may be at elevated risk, additional testing of staff may be required and if a positive case reports close contact with a staff member that worker may be required to test and isolate.

The changes come after the major supermarkets pushed for the revision of the isolation rules after thousands of staff were put into isolation, forcing some stores to reduce their hours or close entirely.

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