CONCERNS are being raised over reports that business owners in Victoria are learning that their premises have been listed as COVID-19 exposure sites through the media, rather than from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, told Pharmacy Daily that the DHHS needed to get on the front foot to contact businesses before they are listed, prior to informing media outlets, following the latest outbreak of the virus in the state.
"It is very concerning to hear reports of businesses that have been listed as exposure sites to COVID having either not heard from the Victorian DHHS or following a delay in being contacted regarding what the circumstances of being mentioned are," he said.
"Employers want to ensure the safety of their patrons and staff, and the Victorian DHHS must do whatever it can to have early and close engagement with businesses so they're not hearing about it through the media and left confused without absolute clarity of what to do."
Tassone added that the Victorian Government's decision to close the state's border with NSW on New Year's Eve had come "as a shock to many... impacting many thousands of travellers scrambling to return home...including pharmacy staff and their families trying to enjoy a well-earned break after the overwhelming year that was 2020".
"The Guild has been assisting members with queries regarding staff entitlements during periods of needing to isolate, as well as helping navigate DHHS information on what the expectations are for returning travellers in terms of testing and isolation," he said.
"With the growing list of COVID exposure sites of businesses in Victoria -- the Guild continues to encourage members to ensure their COVIDSafe plan is current and in place for their pharmacy and team.
"Staff of pharmacies (as well as patients) along the Murray River border, particularly Echuca-Moama are experiencing lengthy delays at times commuting to and from work crossing the border re-introducing challenges from last year that is understandably frustrating for those impacted.
"The Guild is grateful for all of the frontline healthcare workers at the testing clinic sites and Victorian police on the border, many of whom have had to cut their own leave short, to cope with the sudden demands that the border closure announcement have created."
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 05 Jan 21
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