COVID-19

SA Police update restrictions to essential workers & essential health services

New operations/businesses have been added as Essential Workers, and transport of those workers, along with other updates to restrictions.

An update has been made to the Stay at Home Direction restrictions in South Australia overnight by the SA Police.

The Emergency Management (Stay at Home) (COVID-19) Direction 2020 has been revoked and replaced by the Emergency Management (Stay at Home No 2) (COVID-19) Direction 2020.

This new Direction comes into effect as of 0001 Friday 20 November 2020.

It is important to note that the following information highlights only the amendments and does not reflect all of the requirements under the Stay at Home Direction No 2. All previous directions are still in place unless otherwise mentioned below.

For the full list of requirements please visit: https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/response.

ESSENTIAL WORKERS

The following operations/businesses have been added to the Essential Worker categories:

▪️Bakeries that supply baked goods on a wholesale basis (but do not see or supply or sell on a retail basis to members of the public;

▪️Domestic and commercial waste and resource recovery services (including collection, treatment and disposal services and transfer stations), but only those services that are provided to commercial contractors;

▪️Commonwealth agency services, including Australian Border Force and Commonwealth law enforcement and intelligence agency services;

▪️Administrative services provided by an employer to enable its employees to work from home;

▪️Port operations;

▪️Truckstops and roadhouses (no provision of seated dining or shower facilities to people other than truck drivers); and

▪️Commercial operations that supply goods or services necessary for the implementation of measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.

➡️ A person may leave the home for the purpose of undertaking duties as an essential worker which are classified as those people who perform work which is essential for the continued operation.

➡️ Essential workers may now be transported by private vehicle to and from their place of work by their spouse, domestic partner or parent if the travel is by the most direct and practicable route to and from the place of work.

REASONS TO LEAVE HOME

➡️ A petrol station (including a petrol station that sells groceries), but not to obtain food or beverages prepared on site (whether for consumption on site or take away) has been added to the leaving home provisions outlined in the direction to clarify intent.

TESTING OF COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT AND FREIGHT OPERATORS

➡️ A Commercial Transport and Freight Services operator is no longer to required to produce to an authorized officer evidence of a COVID-19 test or test result relating to a test undertaken within the preceding 7 days and is not required or in future.

ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES

Minor updates have been made in relation to essential health services are provided under Schedule 1 of the Stay At Home Direction.

Essential health services are – 

Emergency surgery, procedures and medical consulting undertaken for the investigation, diagnosis and management of conditions where failure to do so expediently and safely will lead to the following outcomes:
a. Loss of life; or
b. Loss of limb; or
c. Permanent disability;

Non-emergency but urgent surgery, procedures and medical consulting undertaken for the investigation, diagnosis and management of conditions where failure to do so in a clinically appropriate timeframe will lead to a predictable and evidence based outcome as follows;
a. Loss of life where appropriate health intervention would have otherwise prevented this; or
b. Permanent disability where appropriate health intervention would have otherwise prevented this; or
c. Where clinical evidence supports an increased risk of a type referred to in paragraph a or b should appropriate intervention be significantly delayed

Any health services provided in a hospital

Any health services provided by a general practitioner

Any health services produced at a hospital radiology service (other than routine screening services)

Procedures and surgical treatments undertaken by dentists in authorised public health care centres (consistent with Level 5 COVID-19 Dental Service Restrictions published by the Australian Dental Association) in management of –
a. Patients with obvious facial swelling due to infection ie vestibular swelling (no trismus), facial swelling (with trismus) or
b. Facial trauma; or
c. Severe unrelenting pain

Procedures to complete –
a. Any cycle of IVF treatment that a patient has commenced before the commencement of the defined period or
b. Any procedure required for the preservation of eggs for future IVF where required health treatment will render eggs non-viable

Surgical termination of pregnancy

Drug and alcohol services

The following allied health services
a. Allied health services provided by allied health professionals working as essential workers in hospitals or in residential care facilities providing critical clinical care or as directed by the hospital
b. Allied health services provided by allied health professionals working in private practice providing care through Telehealth and other virtual care options
c. Students, medical/nursing/midwifery/allied health on placement providing essential care in hospitals or in residential care facilities, or through Telehealth

The conduct of human medical research trials

The following mental health services
a. Hospital emergency or inpatient psychiatric services
b. Allied health professionals providing mental health services in hospitals;
c. Private consultant psychiatry practice by Telehealth or by face-to-face (but only in the instance of emergency clinical care for potentially life-threatening situations where Telehealth is not clinically appropriate)

To avoid doubt, nothing in this schedule is to be taken to allow the performance of cosmetic surgery, or other procedures not addressing significant medical conditions or elective surgery.

More info on the Direction can be found here: https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/emergency…/stay-at-hom

All directions, frequently asked questions and other information can be found here: https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/emergency-declarations

More information will be released by SA Police in relation to this however, if you have any pressing questions in relation to COVID-19 information please contact the SA COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787 between the hours of 9am to 5pm 7 days per week or go to the SA Health website at www.sahealth.sa.gov.au or www.sa.gov.au/covid-19

NEW GAWLER TESTING SITE

These changes come as SA Health announced the opening of a new COVID-19 mobile testing site at Gawler Sport and Community Centre. The all-ages testing site is open from 10am – 4pm 7 days and is located at Nixon Terrace, Gawler. No bookings or referral is needed.

ISOLATION PAYMENTS

If you have been required to get tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate as part of the Parafield Cluster, you may be eligible for financial assistance if you’ve lost work and don’t have access to any paid leave or income support during this time.

A single payment of $300 is available for eligible people from the State Government’s COVID-19 Cluster Isolation Payment. You may also be eligible for up to $1500 more from the Australian Government’s Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment.

Find out if you’re eligible and apply online now at www.covid-19.sa.gov.au

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