Expiry of COVID-19 directions – what does it mean for you?
The Emergency Management Declaration in respect of the COVID-19 pandemic, made pursuant to the Emergency Management Act 2004 (SA), was revoked on 24 May 2022. However, certain Emergency Directions made under that Declaration, which primarily mandated vaccination in certain high-risk industries, remained in force.
Those declarations have now begun to expire. The Emergency Management (Healthcare Setting Workers Vaccination No 7) (COVID-19) Direction 2022 expired at 12.01am on Friday 18 November 2022, and the following remaining directions expired at 12:01am on Wednesday 23 November 2022:
- South Australian Public Health (COVID-19 Directions) Notice 2022
- Emergency Management (Residential Aged Care Facilities No 49) (COVID-19) Direction 2022
- Emergency Management (In-home and Community Aged Care and Disability Support Workers Vaccination No 4) (COVID-19) Direction 2022
The expiry of these directions means that employees working in the healthcare, aged care or disability support industries will no longer be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, unless a workplace vaccination policy which covers those employees is in place.
Norman Waterhouse can assist with any queries you might have about the expiry of these COVID-19 directions, including if you:
- do not have a COVID-19 vaccination policy in place and wish to consider implementing one;
- are unsure whether your existing COVID-19 vaccination policy covers those employees who were previously covered by a State Government vaccination direction; or
- require any assistance reintegrating unvaccinated employees previously covered by a vaccination direction into your workplace.
Please contact Sathish Dasan on + 61 8 8210 1253 or sdasan@normans.com.au, Anastasia Gravas on +61 8 8217 1331 or agravas@normans.com.au or Annabelle Narayan on + 61 8 8210 1292 or anarayan@normans.com.au if you require any further information.
