Healthcare workers
A Public Health Order requiring healthcare workers and aged care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 is now in effect.
The Public Health (COVID 19 Vaccination of Health Care Workers) Order 2021 requires the first dose of a vaccine by 30 September 2021, with a second dose required by 30 November 2021.
The order applies to:
- in the public sector, persons who work for the NSW Health Service, for a public health organisation, the Health Administration Corporation and Ambulance Service of NSW, as well as staff of the Ministry of Health
- in the private sector a person who does work in a private health facility, being a private hospital or day procedure centre
- in the private sector, registered paramedics whose work involves transporting, or assessing whether to transport, persons to and from a public or private health facility
Work is defined broadly to cover employees, contractors, VMOs, visiting practitioners, volunteers and students undertaking clinical placements.
The order does not now include private primary care providers such as GPs.
Aged care facilities
The Public Health (COVID-19 Aged Care Facilities) Order 2021 requires staff (including contractors) of a residential aged care facility (RACF) and people engaged by the operator to provide services, including health practitioners engaged by the operator, (other than students and certain maintenance contractors) to have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in order to enter or remain at the RACF after 9am on 17 September 2021.
The order also requires students on placement and health practitioners engaged by a resident to have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination in order to enter or remain at the RACF after 9am on 31 October 2021.
Under both orders, employers are responsible for taking reasonable steps to ensure workers comply with the order.
Workers will need to provide evidence of having received a COVID-19 vaccination if requested to do so by their employer. Employers will be able to request this information.
An exemption is available for a worker if they are unable to be vaccinated a due to a medical contraindication.
Workers will be required to provide evidence of a medical contraindication via a certificate from a medical practitioner, in a form approved by the Chief Health Officer which specifies the medical contraindication.
There is an exemption which will apply if a person needs to do work in a medical emergency or non-medical emergency.
The Health Minister may exempt other persons from these requirements but only if satisfied it is necessary to protect the health and well-being of patients in the facility.