COVID-19 : NOVEL CORONAVIRUS
WEDNESDAY 15 DECEMBER 2021
Please find below a selection of recent legislation changes relating to COVID-19 and communications for workplaces from key safety and environmental regulators in Australia and New Zealand.
This update is provided on a weekly basis.
LEGISLATION CHANGES
Please note: The legislation in this update was current at time of release. Legislation around COVID-19 is frequently updated and revoked. The URLs provided may no longer be maintained by the relevant legislative website, after the release date.
Advance to the Finance Minister Determination (No. 2 of 2021-2022)
- Provides additional funding to the National Recovery and Resilience Agency to support a decision by the Australian Government to extend the availability of the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment until 30 June 2022.
- Amends the Biosecurity (Emergency Requirements - High Risk Country Travel Pause) Determination (No. 2) 2021 to extend the high risk country travel pause until 15 December 2021.
- Amends the Biosecurity (Human Biosecurity Emergency) (Human Coronavirus with Pandemic Potential) Declaration 2020 to extend the human biosecurity emergency period for a further two months until 17 February 2022.
Child Care Subsidy Amendment (Coronavirus Response Measures No. 8) Minister’s Rules 2021
- Amends the Child Care Subsidy Minister’s Rules 2017 to lessen the adverse impact on individuals and child care services arising from COVID-19 related lockdowns and restrictions in Australia.
- Amends the Defence Determination 2016/19, Conditions of Service to update and provide additional benefits to Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families as a consequence of the changing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and the effects it has on the movement of ADF personnel around Australia.
Defence Determination, Conditions of Service Amendment Determination 2021 (No. 24)
- Amends the Defence Determination 2016/19, Conditions of Service to include, among other things, that a member must not be granted recreation leave to be taken during a journey under Chapter 14 Part 4 during the COVID-19 pandemic unless Director of Defence Print and Travel Services is satisfied there are exceptional circumstances for the member to do so.
- Broadens the class of persons who can apply for a Subclass 600 (Visitor) visa (subclass 600 visa) with a nil visa application charge by way of Subparagraph 1236(2)(a)(iv) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994.
Privacy Amendment (South Australia My Health Records Access) Regulations 2021
- Amends the Privacy Regulation 2013 to prescribe the South Australian Department of the Premier and Cabinet as an organisation under section 6F of the Privacy Act 1988 in relation to its handling of information from the My Health Records system for the purposes of managing risks from the coronavirus known as COVID-19.
Approval of Extension of a Major Emergency Declaration Under Section 23
- Further extends the major emergency declaration for a period of 28 days commencing 11 December 2021.
Public Health Amendment Act 2021
- Creates a new temporary offence in Section 120B(1) for failing to comply with a direction that has been given under Section 120 while a COVID-19 declaration is in force, among other things.
Public Health (COVID-19 General) Amendment Order (No 8) 2021
- Amends the Public Health (COVID-19 General) Order 2021 to give effect to the roadmap for easing certain restrictions from 8 November 2021 - came into force on 5 November and 8 November 2021.
Public Health (COVID-19 General) Amendment Order (No 9) 2021
- Amends the Public Health (COVID-19 General) Order 2021 to remove the requirements for occupiers of nightclubs or strip clubs in the general area not to allow persons to consume alcohol in an indoor area unless they are seated - came into force on 10 November 2021.
Public Health (COVID-19 General) Order (No 2) 2021
- Repeals and remakes the Public Health (COVID-19 General) Order 2021 as part of the roadmap for easing restrictions concerning COVID-19.
COVID-19 Directions (No. 116) 2021: Directions to Wear Face Masks in Katherine
- Imposes face mask wearing requirements for persons in the Municipality of Katherine.
COVID-19 Directions (No. 117) 2021: Directions for Aged Care Facilities in Katherine
- Imposes entry, face mask, testing and information gathering requirements for aged care facilities located in the Municipality of Katherine.
COVID-19 Directions (No. 119) 2021: Testing Requirements for COVID-19 Risk Zone - Katherine East
- Imposes testing requirements for certain persons prior to exiting the specified COVID-19 risk zone.
COVID-19 Directions (No. 120) 2021: Directions to Wear Face Masks in Barunga and Manyallaluk
- Imposes mask wearing requirements to persons in the communities of Barunga and Manyallaluk.
COVID-19 Directions (No. 121) 2021: Directions to Lock Out Beswick
- Restricts movement in and out of, and within, the community of Beswick and restricts gatherings, among other things.
- Imposes face mask wearing requirements for certain persons while in the community of Bulla or the localities of Tennant Creek, Daguragu, Kalkarindji, Pigeon Hole or Lajamanu.
COVID-19 Directions (No. 123) 2021: Directions for PCR Testing for Persons Exiting Katherine
Border Restrictions Direction (No. 57)
- Sets the requirements for entry to Queensland for the vaccinated, unvaccinated and people from border zones, among other things.
COVID-19 Hotspots and Border Zone Declaration
- Identifies COVID-19 hotspots for Public Health Direction - Border Restrictions Direction (No. 55) or its successor, identifies COVID-19 hotspots for other public health directions about the movement of people to or from COVID-19 hotspots, identifies restricted and non-restricted Border Zone LGAs for other public health directions about the movement of people to or from COVID-19 hotspots and moves specified areas of the Moree Plains Shire LGA to the non-restricted Border Zone.
COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Workers in a High-risk Setting Direction
- Imposes vaccination requirements for workers who enter, work in, or provide services in a high-risk setting.
Disability Accommodation Services Direction (No. 26)
- Imposes requirements for restricted and non-restricted shared disability accommodation services.
Disaster Management (Further Extension of Disaster Situation - COVID-19) Regulation (No. 4) 2021
- Further extends the period of the disaster situation declared for the whole of the State of Queensland.
Home Quarantine for Household Members of an Overseas Traveller Direction
- Imposes requirements for persons residing at a nominated residential quarantine premises at the same time as an overseas traveller, during the quarantine period for the overseas traveller.
Hospital Entry Direction (No. 7)
- Imposes requirements for entry to hospitals.
Quarantine for International Arrivals Direction (No. 16)
- Imposes quarantine requirements for international arrivals.
Residential Aged Care Direction (No. 11)
- Imposes requirements for residential aged care facilities, and their staff and volunteers.
Emergency Management (Arrivals - Associated Direction No 6) (COVID-19) Direction 2021
- Sets the arrival requirements for certain arrivals into South Australia.
Emergency Management (COVID-19) (Healthcare Setting Workers Vaccination) Direction No 4
- Maintains the provision of healthcare services despite the presence of COVID-19 in the community, minimises disruption to those services due to the spread of COVID-19 amongst healthcare setting workers and workers being furloughed following possible exposure to COVID-19, and reduces the risk of spread of COVID-19 by healthcare setting workers to patients.
- Maintains the provision of education services operating in education and early childhood settings despite the presence of COVID-19 in the community, minimises disruption to those services due to the spread of COVID-19 amongst workers at education and early childhood settings and workers being furloughed following possible exposure to COVID-19, and reduces the risk of spread of COVID-19 by workers at education and early childhood settings to vulnerable persons in the community.
- Reduces the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to vulnerable members of the community, maintains the provision of in-home and community aged care and disability support services despite the presence of COVID-19 in the community, and minimises the disruption of those services due to the spread of COVID-19 amongst in-home and community aged care and disability support service workers and due to such workers being furloughed following possible exposure to COVID-19.
Emergency Management (Passenger Transport Vaccination No 4) (COVID-19) Direction 2021
- Protects passenger transport workers from contracting COVID-19 from passengers, and reduces the risk of spread of COVID-19 by passenger transport workers to vulnerable members of the community.
Emergency Management (Residential Aged Care Facilities No 44) (COVID-19) Direction 2021
Direction Under Section 16 (Cruise Ships - No. 2)
- Imposes requirements for certain cruise services provided by a vessel.
Direction Under Section 16 (Testing of Certain Essential Travellers - No. 1)
- Imposes testing requirements for certain persons arriving in Tasmania.
COVID-19 Event Insurance Pilot
- Directs the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority (‘VMIA’) to provide COVID-19 Event Insurance to Event Organisers which demonstrate to the VMIA’s satisfaction that they meet the conditions of this direction - came into force on 10 December 2021.
Pandemic Declaration Under Section 165AB(1) of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008
- Makes a pandemic declaration under Section 165AB(1) of the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 applying to the whole of Victoria - came into force at 11:59 pm on 15 December 2021.
- Designates certain locations as COVID-19 higher risk locations for the purposes of paragraphs 12, 15(b) and 21 of the Regulated Entry of Higher Risk Vessels into Western Australia Directions (No 2).
COVID-19 Public Health Response (Maritime Border) Order (No 2) Amendment Order (No 3) 2021
- Amends the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Maritime Border) Order (No 2) 2020 in relation to certain definitions, ships seeking permission to arrive in New Zealand, certain exemptions, notices of arrival, and isolation and quarantine requirements, among other things.
COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Amendment Order (No 2) 2021
- Sets new rules for travelling out of the extended Auckland area, by activating new COVID-19 provisions on and from 11.59 pm on 14 December 2021, among other things.
COVID-19 Public Health Response (Specified Work Vaccinations) Order 2021
- Specifies the classes of work that, under Subpart 2A of Part 2 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020, may only be carried out by affected workers who are vaccinated, or exempt persons, or authorised persons (as defined in section 5(1) of the Act); and prescribes the details of vaccination records that must be kept by a PCBU of an affected worker under Section 17B of the Act and the manner in which the records must be kept, among other things.
Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020 Renewal Notice (No 4) 2021
- Renews the Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020.
- Exempts certain classes of persons from the prohibition in Clause 90 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Order 2021 to permit them to enter the extended Auckland area for specified purposes.
- Specifies the COVID-19 vaccines that are required for a person to satisfy the vaccination requirement for the purpose of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border Order) Order (No 2) 2020.
FROM THE REGULATORS
Australian Government:
- National Cabinet Statement - 10 December 2021
- New Approval Allows Australia to Rollout Covid-19 Vaccines for 5 to 11-Year-Olds
Department of Health:
- ATAGI Recommendations on Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Use in Children Aged 5 to 11 Years
- ATAGI Statement on the Omicron Variant and Timing of COVID-19 Booster Vaccination
- ATAGI Update Following Weekly COVID-19 Meeting - 8 December 2021
- Australia Vaccinating Children Against COVID-19 from Early Next Year
- Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) Recommendations on the Use of Spikevax (Moderna) as a COVID-19 Booster Vaccine
- COVID-19 - Omicron Update from CMO Professor Paul Kelly
- Response to ATAGI Advice About Vaccinating 5 to 11-Year-Olds against COVID-19
- Top 3 COVID-19 Vaccine Questions - Omicron, Vaccines for Ages 5-11, and Mental Health Over the Festive Season
Therapeutic Goods Administration:
The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory:
NZ Government:
- Investment Fund to Build Resilience in the Pacific
- New Border Exception to Support Rapidly Growing Tech Sector
- New Fund to Empower Pacific Peoples to Navigate COVID-19’s Protection Framework
- Testing Requirements for Asymptomatic Unvaccinated Travellers
- Transition Support for Businesses Available from Today
World Health Organisation:
That completes this edition of the COVID-19 update. The next update will be released on Wednesday 22 December 2021.