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Australia: Work linked to 4-in-5 new coronavirus cases
As New South Wales and Victoria face rising numbers of coronavirus cases, there are growing calls for Australia’s federal government to do more to protect workers. On 19 July, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews acknowledged the state’s spike could largely be traced back to spread between employees. “About 80 per cent of our new cases since May are being driven by transmission in workplaces,” he told media, as he revealed the state had seen 363 new cases of Covid-19 and two related deaths in the last 24 hours. In a statement, Victorian workplace safety minister Jill Hennessy said workplace inspectors would target high risk workplaces. “This inspection blitz will identify any workplaces who are not meeting the high standards necessary to keep their employees safe,” the statement said. “There is no room to cut corners or be complacent. Workplaces need to take every step possible to maintain safe workplaces and prevent or limit the spread of coronavirus.” To combat high workplace transmission, Australia’s unions are calling for paid pandemic leave. “The prime minister must act immediately to provide paid pandemic leave for all workers or risk losing control of the spread of Covid-19 nationwide,” said Gerard Dwyer, national secretary of the shop and distribution union SDA. “The absence of access to paid pandemic leave for nearly 50 per cent of the national workforce is an invitation to disaster.” Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) secretary Sally McManus said: “We may be living with this pandemic for a long time. This means we need to change our attitudes and temporarily change our laws.” She added: “Paid pandemic leave costs are a drop in the ocean compared to ongoing lockdowns.” However, unions say the federal government has so far appeared unwilling to even entertain the idea of pandemic leave.
Victorian state government news release. Business Insider. Daily Mail.
do Business Insider
Calls for paid pandemic leave are growing after 80% of Victorian coronavirus cases were linked to the workplace
Jack Derwin Jul 20, 2020, 4:50 PM
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has acknowledged 80% of the state’s rising COVID-19 cases were transmitted in the workplace.
It’s provided more fuel for unions, which are calling for pandemic leave to be implemented nationally.
With half of the workforce without sick or paid leave, such an initiative could help keep workers from spreading the virus.
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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
According to the latest figures, there are 12,894 cases of coronavirus disease diagnosed in Australia - an increase of 2,014 since last week, almost all in Victoria. 128 people have died - seventeen more than last week. The number of new infections in Victoria has continued to grow which has led to increased concern and talk of even tougher restrictions. There were 484 new infections yesterday - the highest number so far. (It is unlikely that yesterday's figures have been added to the overall Australian statistics)
Since the last edition of SafetyNet, new restrictions have been implemented due to the number of new infections not reducing as much as the government would have liked. Notably, the wearing of masks is now mandatory for anyone over the age of 12 leaving the home for any of the four permitted reasons.
The Premier noted that recently there has been a decrease in the number of cases being spread between families, and the majority of outbreaks are now coming from settings where people are working closely together. The Premier announced that to address this increase, an inspection and enforcement blitz will be carried out in workplaces across the state. WorkSafe, Emergency Management Victoria and Victoria Police will focus on at-risk workplaces, including distribution centres, call centres and meat processing centres. We await details on what the blitz will involve. Read more: Premier's media release
An alarming new analysis conducted by the Victorian government shows nearly nine out of 10 residents did not self-isolate upon experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The detailed analysis measured 3810 cases between July 7 and 21. "I'm very unhappy and very sad to have to report that nearly nine in 10 - or 3400 cases - did not isolate between when they first felt sick and when they went to get a test," Mr Andrews said today. Further, it appears that almost half of those who get a test are not staying home in the period between getting tested and receiving results - going to work, going shopping and so on.
The fact that many people are being infected through or at their workplaces highlights why the ACTU's call for pandemic leave for all workers is crucial. Currently, it is not straightforward for a worker to claim workers compensation if they contract coronavirus at work, either from other workers or their clients/patients/customers. If a worker has to go into isolation because he or she has come into contact with someone who has tested positive, then they have to use their own leave or, if they don't have any, can apply for the special one-off $1500 the Victorian government has made available. The ACTU's petition to the government for the paid pandemic leave has now reached over 115,000 signatures. Sign it now and send it around to all your contacts/post it on your social media.
The international situation keeps worsening: the number of people infected is now at 15,093,712 - last Wednesday it was 13,457,458, so this is over 1.3 million more infections - so the rate is still increasing. There have now been 619,467 deaths around the world, with the USA still being the worst affected country. However there is news that the official figures in India are very much fewer than the actual figures, and that India may be worse than the USA. Read more: For more information on Coronavirus and COVID-19, go to this page on our site.