Living with Covid-19: Queensland government works with business ahead of border opening

Health authorities have provided an insight into what it will be like in Queensland living with Covid as it works with businesses to develop rules around operating through outbreaks.

Schools and workplaces won’t necessarily be plunged into lockdowns when outbreaks begin in Queensland, but decisions will depend on how many people are vaccinated.

Amid demands from the business sector for more answers around what living with the virus will mean for their operations, they were told the best thing they could do was ensure their workers got vaccinated.

Acting Chief Health Officer Peter Aitken said national cabinet was currently considering whether to change the definition of a ‘close contact’ in light of higher vaccination rates, which will impact who is sent into quarantine when cases are identified.

The Queensland government says schools and workplaces won’t necessarily be plunged into lockdowns, with decisions to be made on the merits of each case. Picture: Dan Peled

And meetings were happening at the moment to define the rules, restrictions and “rewards” for businesses and vaccinated people.

“It’s all about relative risk,” Dr Aitken said.

“And we do take each case on its merits and public health units look at that and one of the key things that determines risk is how many of the staff are vaccinated?

“And how many of the surrounding community is vaccinated.

National cabinet is considering whether to change the definition of a ‘close contact’ in light of higher vaccination rates. Picture: Jono Searle

So I just ask all businesses, the best thing you can do to protect your business in those circumstances is to make sure your staff is vaccinated.”

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said there were no hard and fast answers that would apply in all circumstances.

“Every situation is looked at based on its own merits of what’s happening in that particular situation,” she said.

“If the person is at the start of the virus, whether they’re at the end of the virus, the likely risk and then it is the public health unit that decides is this a casual contact, is this a close contact and whether they need to quarantine.”

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath says health authorities are working with businesses on how they will operate once Queensland’s borders open. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Asked whether she understood the frustration of businesses unable to plan for Christmas while not knowing under what scenarios they may be forced to close, she said no jurisdiction in the country had that sort of detail around what happens if there were outbreaks at businesses.

“We’ve never gone to the point of being absolute (about what happens in every single case) … because we know it will all be different,” she said.

“We know that there’s different circumstances and it might be that the person who’s got the virus is fully vaccinated, that there’s no community transmission happening.

“That’s different to multiple cases of unvaccinated people.”

Ms D’Ath said they would continue to work with the retail, hospital and tourism sector to provide as much clarity as possible “but what we know about this virus is you can only provide so much clarity”.

Ms D’Ath confirmed authorities are working to have the state’s check in app reflect a person’s vaccination status to use in entering certain premises.

Originally published as Living with Covid-19: Queensland government works with business ahead of border opening