SMALL businesses should not be held accountable for customers failing to abide by social distancing measures, Pharmacy Guild of Australia NSW Branch President, David Heffernan, believes.
Following the confirmation of a staff member at a south-west Sydney pharmacy testing positive for COVID-19 yesterday, Heffernan told Pharmacy Daily that he was concerned that small businesses were being expected to control the actions of the public.
"My fear for small business is there's been a creep towards putting responsibility [for positive cases] on businesses not the public," he said.
"If fines are going to be handed out, they should be to the public, not small businesses.
"How can a pharmacy be responsible for the actions of the public?"
Heffernan noted pharmacies, and other businesses, have implemented measures to encourage customers to maintain social distance, but could not force the public to comply.
He said the case at the Pharmacy 4 Less store in Tahmoor, was linked to the outbreak at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, approximately 50km from the pharmacy.
Heffernan praised the response of the store's owners, who closed the pharmacy to be disinfected and have said it will not reopen until sufficient numbers of staff return negative test results, or replacement staff can be brought in.
Meanwhile, a Chemist Warehouse distribution centre in Melbourne has also been closed for "deep cleaning" after a worker tested positive for COVID on Thu 09 Jul.
The United Workers Union, which represents staff at the centre reported that "only five" other staff members have gone into isolation "despite the possibility of up to 100 staff who worked the same shift having come into contact with the confirmed case".
Chemist Warehouse said staff were encouraged to adhere to social distancing guidelines.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 14 Jul 20
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