COVID winter guide and resources 2022

The information below contains information relevant to veterinary businesses, as provided by the  Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), of which the AVA is a member.  

COVID winter guide

The ACCI has finalised their third edition of the Winter Guide. The Guide is designed to practically assist employers with managing COVID-19 in workplaces over winter and into the second half of the year. It recaps the current state of the public health response in the initial few chapters and then moves into workplace specific matters such as supporting someone with long COVID in the workplace and updating risk assessments and WHS controls.  

The guide covers informations such as:

• Vaccines and booster status
• Influenza (flu) vaccine advice
• Long COVID and managing ongoing health effects
• Workplace COVID Response - Actions for businesses
• Managing COVID-19 positive cases, close contacts and workers with symptoms
• WHS - Updating your risk assessments and controls
• Control measures – stay at home, ventilation, physical distancing, cleaning and hygiene, masks and PPE, vaccination

COVID winter messaging

The ACCI has also developed a COVIDSafe ‘campaign’ on three core messages:

• 1. Although Public Health Orders are ceasing, employers have ongoing WHS duties in regards to managing COVID-19 risks.
• 2. A reminder that businesses should be doing regular risk assessments and updating COVIDSafe plans, particularly as we head into winter or new variants emerge.
• 3. The six key control measures all workplaces should be considering: encouraging vaccination where applicable, workers do not come to work when unwell, ensuring physical distancing in the workplace, improving ventilation where appropriate, practising good hygiene and regular cleaning and wearing masks as appropriate.