Essential workers could become exempt from quarantine

A series of meetings are being held to discuss damaging worker shortages in critical industries, as Omicron rapidly spreads, forcing positive cases and close contacts to isolate.

Power and water supply workers, aviation staff, veterinarians, physiotherapists, teachers and child care workers could become exempt from having to quarantine in some circumstances, as the federal government urgently seeks deal with damaging staff shortages.

A series of meetings are being held to discuss worker shortages in critical industries, as Omicron rapidly spreads, forcing positive cases and close contacts to isolate.

There is already advice from the medical advisory board, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, that essential food supply workers should be able to keep working if they are close contacts, provided they test negative, continue to be tested frequently and have no symptoms.

Similar rule changes are being considered for other critical sectors, including medical suppliers, aviation, essential services, childcare and education, but it is understood that critical food and grocery supply chains are being prioritised.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison wants to keep staff working where possible. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday will convene a meeting with National Coordinating Mechanism, which deals with Covid crisis management outside health issues, and relevant Ministers to discuss which industries should be allowed to use the relaxed isolation rules and how to balance limiting the disease spread with preventing detrimental staff shortages.

There will also be discussions on whether businesses in non-critical industries should stop requiring their workers to provide negative rapid antigen tests, which remain in short supply.

It will be the focus of discussions at national cabinet on Thursday, with Mr Morrison flagging they would be seeking to “maximise those who can remain in the workforce”.

It follows a meeting on Tuesday night between the nation’s biggest industry, retail and transport groups with acting Small Business Minister Anne Ruston and Small Business Ombudsman Bruce Billson to discuss proposed changes to testing and isolation rules for essential food workers to address the staff shortages leading to the empty supermarket shelves.

Discussions were expected to centre around how small businesses could implement the new AHPPC advice, which allows close contacts in essential food supply chain roles to continue working if they are close contacts if they are asymptomatic and test negative.