Updated Covid-19 Roadmap For Businesses

13 Jan 2022

Key Member Takeaways

Businesses likely to continue to implement mask wearing and QR Code check-in beyond 27 January 2022.
Workers to observe the new isolation, testing and notification requirements.

To assist Members returning to business, we have prepared the following updated COVID-19 Roadmap that are relevant to Members:

Mask Wearing

Masks wearing is compulsory for a person over 12 years of age in indoor area of non-residential premises. This includes offices, vehicle showrooms and workshops.

Exceptions to mask wearing apply to a person who is:

eating or drinking, or
engaging in physical exercise, or
communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, or
engaging in work if—
- wearing the covering is a risk to the person’s, or another person’s, health and safety, or
- enunciation or visibility of the person’s mouth is essential, or
- the work is in an indoor area and no other person is in the area, or
requested to remove the covering as part of an identity check, or
required to remove the covering—
- because of an emergency, or
- for the proper provision of goods or a service, or
in a vehicle and no other person is in the vehicle other than a member of the person’s household, or
in a hotel, motel or other accommodation facility as a guest and is in the person’s own room, or
in a school as a student, or
in a public hospital or private health facility as a patient, or
in a residential aged care facility as a resident, or
in a correctional centre or other place of custody, or
in the process of getting married.

The current Public Health Order (“PHO”) does not specify an end date for these restrictions.

QR Code Check In

Retail premises such as vehicles showrooms, parts and tyre shops are required to have QR Code check-in.

This requirement does not apply to non-retail premises such as office premises, service stations and vehicle workshops.

"Retail premises” means a building or place used for the purpose of selling items by retail, or hiring or displaying items for the purpose of selling them or hiring them out, whether the items are goods or materials (or whether also sold by wholesale), and includes any of the following:

cellar door premises,
food and drink premises,
garden centres,
hardware and building supplies,
kiosks,
landscaping material supplies,
markets,
plant nurseries,
roadside stalls,
rural supplies,
shops,
specialised retail premises,
timber yards,
vehicle sales or hire premises, but does not include highway service centres, service stations, industrial retail outlets or restricted premises.

“Office premises” means a building or place used for the purpose of administrative, clerical, technical, professional or similar activities that do not include dealing with members of the public at the building or place on a direct and regular basis, except where such dealing is a minor activity (by appointment) that is ancillary to the main purpose for which the building or place is used.

The current PHO does not specify an end date for these restrictions.

Vaccination Status

Retail premises such as vehicles showrooms, parts and tyre shops are not required to check the vaccination status of customers as condition of entry.

Infection or Potential Infection at Workplace

Members must notify SafeWork NSW if a worker has contracted COVID-19 at work or was likely infectious in the workplace. For more information visit Guidance for businesses with a worker who tests positive for COVID-19.

Any worker who has contracted COVID-19, or likely to be infectious, or who is a close contact must observed the new isolation and testing requirements as set out in the earlier communication effective 12 January 2022.