Some meat processing plants have had to shut down and others,along with food distribution facilities,report 50 per cent or more of their staff are off work due to contact with the virus.
Amid a dearth of rapid antigen tests and active coronavirus cases nearing 600,000,all states except Western Australia are relaxing health restrictions to enable more people to keep working during the wave of Omicron infections.
The new rules allow close COVID-19 contacts deemed low risk of infection to return to work without taking a RAT if they have no symptoms. But high-risk contacts who were in close proximity to an infected personmust take several rapid antigen tests before they can return to work.
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Farm groups are calling for workers in food supply chain companies to get priority access to the tests,of which there are stillchronic shortages.
“Last year we advocated for a reopening plan that modelled supply chain disruption and called for industry access to rapid antigen tests,” Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said.
“It’s frustrating that we are all suffering because of lack of clear direction because state and federal governments are blaming each other,which has gone on far too long in this pandemic. It’s impossible for the average Australian to determine who’s accountable for what’s going wrong.”