The Primary Health Care Worker (Restrictions on Access) Directions (Directions) apply to all persons who provide health services to a patient at a primary health care facility.
A primary health care facility is defined as including, but is not limited to, general practices, dental surgeries, medical specialist operated clinics, nurse and allied health professional operated clinics, pathology centres, pharmacies, medical radiology centres, community health clinics and aboriginal health services. The full list of primary health care facilities is set out in the Directions.
Primary health care workers include doctors, nurses, students, allied health professionals, ambulance officers, direct care workers and administrative and ancillary staff such as cleaners, gardeners, maintenance etc, as well as transport drivers and those who may provide commercial activities at the premises pursuant to a lease, licence or otherwise. The full list of primary health care workers can be reviewed at Schedule 1 of the Directions.
From 1 November 2021 a primary health care worker must not enter or remain at a primary health care facility if the worker has not been partially vaccinated against Covid-19. From 1 December 2021, a worker must not enter or remain at a primary health care facility if they are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
As with previously issued directions affecting health care workers, limited exemptions are available. However, the only reasons allowing a worker to obtain a medical exemption from having a vaccine are:
- if they have had anaphylaxis after a previous dose of a vaccine;
- if they have had anaphylaxis after a dose of any component of a vaccine; or
- if they are significantly immunocompromised—for live vaccines only.
Temporary exemptions are also available but will only be considered:
- if the primary health care worker can demonstrate they have taken every effort to access a COVID-19 vaccine registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, but have been unable to due to supply or access limitations;
- if the primary health care worker has been vaccinated against COVID-19 outside Australia with a vaccine that is not registered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration; or
- if the primary health care worker is in the process of applying for a medical exemption but that process is not yet complete.
The Directions now align primary health care workers with other health care workers and workers in the residential aged care setting, with respect to the Covid-19 vaccination requirements.
Key dates to be aware of are:
➡️1 November: Health care workers and health support workers must be fully vaccinated to enter ‘tier one health care facilities’ and health care workers must be partially vaccinated to enter ‘tier two health care facilities’.
➡️17 November: Workers at RACFs must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
➡️1 December: Health care workers must be fully vaccinated to enter ‘tier two health care facilities’ and partially vaccinated to enter ‘tier three health care facilities’.
➡️1 December: Health support workers must be partially vaccinated to ‘tier two health care facilities’ and ‘tier three health care facilities’.
➡️1 December: Primary health care workers must be fully vaccinated.
➡️1 January 2022: Health care workers must be fully vaccinated to enter ‘tier three health care facilities’ and health support workers must be fully vaccinated to enter ‘tier two health care facilities’ and ‘tier three health care facilities’.
To review the Primary Health Care Workers (Restrictions on Access) Directions and information about applying for an exemption, click here.
