The NSW Government has now clarified a public health order requiring all authorised workers who live in the following local government areas (or part of) and travel outside their LGA to either have:

• received at least their first dose of a COVID vaccination by 30 August; OR
• has been issued with a medical contraindication certificate: OR
• whose workplace has introduced rapid antigen testing approved by the Chief Health Officer. 

This applies to members who live in and travel outside of the following LGAs for work:

• Bayside
• Blacktown
• Burwood
• Campbelltown
• Canterbury-Bankstown
• Cumberland
• Fairfield
• Georges River
• Liverpool
• Parramatta
• Strathfield
• Penrith for the following suburbs: Caddens, Claremont Meadows, Colyton, Erskine Park, Kemps Creek, Kingswood, Mount Vernon, North St Marys, Orchard Hills, Oxley Park, St Clair and St Marys. 

You can see a full copy of the public health order here (section 4.3):

For members who are trying to get vaccination appointments, click here to book a priority appointment.

The Health Services Union has serious concerns about the implications of this order. While everyone wants to see an end to the current situation in Greater Sydney, having in place orders that potentially put both patients and workers at risk due to critical understaffing is not the solution. Further there is very limited clarity about which health districts if any will implement rapid antigen testing, and if they do so for how long they will continue to do so.

The Health Ministry has indicated that any authorised worker, who has not had the first dose of an approved COVID vaccine by the 30 August will not be able to attend work and will not be entitled to special paid leave for the period that they are unable to attend work due to not receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

If you have any further questions about the public health order please contact the HSU Member Services Division on [E-Mail not displayed].

In unity,

Gerard Hayes

Secretary, HSU NSW/ACT/QLD