QLD COVID-19 Update

The Queensland government has set its agenda for relaxing its borders and is messaging the following points to preserve business continuity.  

• Encourage all of your staff to be vaccinated as this will protect businesses and supply chains.  
• Ensuring your team and clients check-in to assist with c
• ontract tracing if required. 
• People who are unwell should be tested for COVID at the earliest opportunity.   

With increased movements that will occur with time, there is the increased likelihood of a COVID positive affecting your business. If this occurs: 

• You will need to be able to be able to demonstrate COVID SAFE work plans ( eg split teams vs not split teams, triggers for insisting teams are COVID testing, etc) and quarantine plans are in place and accurate.  
• You will need to be able to provide evidence that you are and have been following them so that business disruption can be minimised. Location and circumstance will determine the degree of disruption and the local PHU will work with the affected business to do a risk analysis and plan to minimise business disruption.  
• Contract tracing - the better this is, the less disruption 
• Having Business continuity plans in place – Check this link if you would like more information on this, plan for a range of options ( eg how would deal with single person, multiple people affected) 
• Two important aspects are 
• It is likely that the rules within the border bubble will stay the same as they currently are and the border presence is likely to be the same as its it is now until Christmas.  

Managing your workplace

The AVA HR Advisory Service has recently received a high volume of enquiries from members across the country regarding COVID-19 vaccinations in the workplace. Please be assured, as a member of the AVA you have access to the following resources which have been developed and made available by the AVA HR Advisory Service to assist you with these matters:

• COVID-19 Vaccine Workplace Guide
• COVID-19 Workplace Resource Toolkit
• COVID-19 Employee Resource Toolkit 
• COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

AVA HR Resources

Working with clients 

At this stage there is no government mandated requirement for clients of veterinary practices to be vaccinated. This means that it is an individual business decision as to how you manage the issue of providing care to the animals of unvaccinated clients. In determining the approach for your own veterinary practices, you may consider: 

• Low contact or zero contact consult procedures for unvaccinated clients 
• Kerb-side consults for unvaccinated clients 
• Scheduling vaccinated and unvaccinated clients in different times during the day 
• Asking client’s animals to be brought in by a vaccinated person 
• Maintaining COVID safe practices