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The government will require all border workers to undergo periodic testing for Covid-19, or they will face a hefty fine, with a new order taking effect at midnight Sunday.
The order covers workers at air and sea borders, as well as managed isolation and quarantine facilities.
Refusing a test without “a reasonable excuse” holds such workers liable for fines of between $ 300 and $ 1000.
Healthcare workers can allow people to skip the test if they think it would be inappropriate.
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MARTIN DE RUYTER / THINGS
The new order sets out how regular the tests should be.
The new order introduced on Sunday modifies an earlier order issued in late August to specify the regularity of the tests. The previous order simply required a test before Sunday, September 6.
Workers at managed quarantine facilities, such as the Jet Park Hotel, where confirmed cases of Covid-19 are taken, must be tested every seven days. Those who transport them there will also need to be tested every seven days.
Other border workers will need to be tested every two weeks.
This includes staff at managed isolation hotels, where travelers who are not known to be staying with Covid-19. It also includes airport workers, such as customs and immigration officials, as well as cleaners and baggage handlers.
Pilots and dock workers are also required to test every 14 days.
The tests should include a nasal or oral swab to detect Covid-19, but can also involve taking temperatures.
The government came under great pressure during August when it was revealed that many border workers had, in fact, not been screened despite repeated assurances that they had.
The National Opposition Party has blamed “border failures” for the resurgence of Covid-19 in the community, although a firm link between the community group and managed isolation or quarantine has yet to be genomically established.
National Party deputy Dr. Shane Reti suggested Sunday that anyone who declined the test should be added to the national contact tracing database.
You also want the turnaround time for negative tests to be shortened, with the goal of recovering 80% of patient results within 48 hours.
These days, those who are positive are generally aware of it very quickly, while a negative test result can take a few days to reach a patient, particularly as it is often relayed by their GP.
“People have been exhausting all their sick days to get negative results. It is important that positive tests remain the priority and are reported within 24 hours. But negative tests need to be bolstered with a measurable goal of 80 percent of negative tests reported within 48 hours, ”Reti said.
