Exposure rules eased

VACCINATED pharmacists and pharmacy staff wearing masks who are exposed to COVID-19 may no longer have to quarantine, under new guidelines announced by the Federal Department of Health.

Individual states and territories still have to formally adopt the advice, which will simplify incidents where patients who attend a pharmacy are subsequently diagnosed with the infection.

A matrix of conditions lays out requirements for low, low-to-moderate, moderate and high risk scenarios, each with new testing and isolation requirements.

For example, a pharmacy staff member wearing a surgical mask who has transient face-to-face contact with a confirmed case, or non-transient distanced contact in an indoor space, can be classed at the worst case as “moderate risk” which under the new guidelines would require them to isolate until a day two PCR test.

If that test is negative they can then return to work, but must have another test on day five and on day 13 and be alert for symptoms.

A high risk scenario involving non-transient face-to-face contact with a confirmed case still requires staff to leave the workplace immediately and isolate as a primary close contact, but with the potential to return to work early if a day five PCR test result is negative.

The Department of Health said “the framework recognises that workers in healthcare settings who are vaccinated for COVID-19 are less likely to acquire infection and, if infected, are less likely to transmit COVID-19 to others”.

“Previous requirements to furlough workers in healthcare settings following exposure to COVID-19 could result in significant impacts on health system capacity and place a significant strain on the delivery of health services.”

The new rules are at health.gov.au.