COVID-19 Updates June 23 2021 (Li)

COVID-19 : NOVEL CORONAVIRUS

WEDNESDAY 23 JUNE 2021

Please find below a selection of recent legislation changes relating to COVID-19 and communications for workplaces from key safety and environmental regulators in Australia and New Zealand.

This update is provided on a weekly basis.

LEGISLATION CHANGES

Please note: The legislation in this update was current at time of release. Legislation around COVID-19 is frequently updated and revoked. The URLs provided may no longer be maintained by the relevant legislative website, after the release date.

Australian Capital Territory

Public Health (COVID-19 Areas of Concern) Notice 2021 (No 117)

Identifies places of concern and multiple close and casual contact exposure sights across ACT, Victoria, Queensland and NSW

New South Wales

Public Health (COVID-19 Interstate Travellers) Order (No 2) 2021

Sets out affected areas and places of high concern.

Public Health (COVID-19 Mandatory Face Coverings) Order No 2 Amendment (No 2) Order 2021

Requires persons in specified local government areas to wear a fitted face covering in particular circumstances and extends the meaning of the term Greater Sydney to include the local government areas of the City of Shellharbour and the City of Wollongong.

Public Health (COVID-19 Mandatory Face Coverings) Order (No 2) Amendment Order 2021

Amends the Public Health (COVID-19 Mandatory Face Coverings) Order (No 2) 2021 to require a person who employs an airport worker or engages an airport worker as a contractor or subcontractor to ensure the airport worker complies with obligations to wear a fitted face covering at NSW airports and on certain domestic aircraft, and to temporarily require persons to wear fitted face coverings when on public transport or at a public transport waiting area in Greater Sydney.

Northern Territory

Extension of Operation of Declaration of Public Health Emergency

Extends the declaration of the public health emergency made on 18 March 2020 for a period of 90 days from 21 June 2021.

Declared Hotspots Direction

Declares multiple Victorian Local Government Areas, and one NSW Local Government Area, as COVID-19 hotspots.

Disaster Management (Further Extension of Disaster Situation - COVID-19) Regulation (No. 2) 2021

Further extends the declared disaster situation for a period of 90 days.

Queensland Future Fund (Titles Registry) (Transitional) Regulation 2021

Facilitates the operation of the Queensland Future Fund (Titles Registry) Act 2021 by enabling existing fees relating to the Titles Registry (Registry) to continue to apply until the end of 30 June 2021.

Queensland Travel Declaration Direction (No. 2)

Requires certain persons entering Queensland from another place in Australia or from a safe travel zone country (NZ) on a quarantine free flight to complete a travel declaration.

Rural and Regional Adjustment (Tourism Business Professional Advice Rebate Scheme) Amendment Regulation 2021

Implements Stage 3 of the Queensland Tourism Business Counselling Service to enable eligible businesses in a tourism industry to access the Tourism Business Professional Advice Rebate to offset the cost of obtaining eligible professional advice.

South Australia

Emergency Management (Cross Border Travel - Associated Direction No 19) (COVID-19) Direction 2021

Applies cross border requirements to certain Victorian, New South Wales and overseas arrivals, and declares restricted zones, among other things.

Statutes Amendment (COVID-19 Permanent Measures) Act 2021

Permanently enacts some of the provisions of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 so that they will not need to be extended again and makes other amendments not reflected in the COVID Act to promote social distancing.

Direction Under Section 16 (Passenger Vessels - No. 1)

Requires persons to wear a fitted face covering in certain areas of a vessel or terminal.

Area Directions (No 12)

Identifies areas within Victoria which have a higher prevalence of, or risk of exposure to, COVID-19 and which are subject to specific directions to protect public health - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Care Facilities Directions (No 33)

Makes provision for restricted access to care facilities in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 within a particularly vulnerable population, balancing the need to limit the spread of COVID-19 against the broader responsibilities of care facilities to the physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing of their clients - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Hospital Visitor Directions (No 29)

Prohibits certain visits to hospitals to limit the spread of COVID-19 - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Restricted Activity Directions (Metropolitan Melbourne) (No 4)

Restricts the operation of certain businesses and undertakings in Metropolitan Melbourne to address the serious public health risk posed to Victoria by COVID-19 - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Restricted Activity Directions (Regional Victoria) (No 4)

Restricts the operation of certain businesses and undertakings in Regional Victoria to address the serious public health risk posed to Victoria by COVID-19 - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Stay Safe Directions (Metropolitan Melbourne) (No 3)

Requires everyone who ordinarily resides in Metropolitan Melbourne to limit gatherings with others by restricting private and public gatherings and to carry and wear face coverings in certain circumstances - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Stay Safe Directions (Regional Victoria) (No 6)

Requires everyone who ordinarily resides in Regional Victoria to limit interactions with others by restricting private and public gatherings and to carry and wear a face covering in certain circumstances - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No 16)

Replaces the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No 15) and makes minor clarifications to some restrictions currently in place in order to limit the spread of COVID-19 - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Workplace (Additional Industry Obligations) Directions) (No 28)

Establishes additional specific obligations on employers and workers in specific industries in relation to managing the risk associated with COVID-19 - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Workplace Directions (No 33)

Limits the number of Victorians attending Work Premises to assist in reducing the frequency and scale of outbreaks of COVID-19 in Victorian workplaces and to establish more specific obligations on employers and workers in relation to managing the risk associated with COVID-19 - came into force at 11.59 pm on 17 June 2021.

Western Australia

Authorisation to Approve COVID Event Plans Under the Gatherings and Activities Directions (No 2)

Authorises a public health authorised officer to give written approval for a COVID Event Plan in respect of an event that, in accordance with the Event Risk Matrix, is assessed as “Low Risk” and “Medium Risk”, and authorises an emergency officer to give written approval for a COVID Event Plan for any event.

Authorisation to Require a Person to Keep Contact Information for a Period of Longer than 28 Days Under the Contact Register Directions

Authorises a person holding the rank of Inspector or above to require an occupier or person apparently in charge of a relevant place to keep a record of contact information for a period longer than 28 days.

Extension of State of Emergency Declaration

Extends the State of Emergency Declaration for a period of 14 days from 18 June 2021.

Protection of Information (Entry Registration Information Relating to COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases) Act 2021

Protects the confidentiality of certain information obtained for the purposes of contact tracing relating to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Referred Projects Amendment Order (No 6) 2021

Amends the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Referred Projects Order 2020 to refer 2 projects to an expert consenting panel for the purpose of the COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020.

Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020 Renewal Notice (No 2) 2021

Renews the Epidemic Preparedness (COVID-19) Notice 2020.

Exemption of Specified Aircrew Members from Clause 22 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020

Exempts specified aircrew members from the application of Clauses 22 and 21(2)(b) of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Air Border) Order (No 2) 2020.

Provisional Consent to the Distribution of a New Medicine

Provisional consents to the sale, supply or use of a new medicine, Comirnaty (COVID-19 mRNA vaccine), subject to certain conditions.

Special Direction - Extension of Visas Held by a Class of Onshore Persons Whose Visas are Expiring and Variation of Conditions of Those Visas to Manage Effects and Deal with Consequences of Measures Taken to Contain or Mitigate the Outbreak of COVID-19 or its Effects

Extends Supplementary Seasonal Employment visas by six months from the date they would otherwise expire where the holder is in New Zealand on 14 June 2021 and the visa is due to expire between 30 June 2021 and 31 December 2021 (inclusive).

FROM THE REGULATORS

Therapeutic Goods Administration:

Australian Capital Territory

ACT Government:

New South Wales

NSW Government:

NSW Health:

Northern Territory

NT Government:

QLD Government:

South Australia

SA Government:

Tasmanian Government:

Department of Health and Human Services:

Update: Travel Permit Zones

Victorian Government:

Western Australia

Department of Health:

WA Government:

Ministry of Health:

Updated Advice for Travellers from New South Wales

NZ Government:

World Health Organisation:

WHO Supporting South African Consortium to Establish First COVID mRNA Vaccine Technology Transfer Hub

That completes this edition of the COVID-19 update. The next update will be released on Wednesday 30 June 2021.

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