INDUSTRY NEWS
27
NATIONAL NEW SOUTH WALES
NSW COVID-19 Small Business Treasury Economic Recovery Group MGA is a member of various NSW Small Business COVID forums, including the Treasury Economic Recovery Task Force and the NSW COSBOA Small Business Minister and Small Business Commissioners Committee. Unlike other state and territory governments, the NSW Government engages and consults with small businesses before embarking upon any major COVID Lockdown restrictions and various other initiatives, including face masks, isolation of staff, vaccinations, rapid antigen testing, QR Codes, COVID Marshalls and so on.
More recently, MGA has dissuaded NSW Public Health and NSW Police from requiring a COVID Marshall to be stationed at the front of our members’ stores. It is very costly and confrontational for our members. Our staff are already subject to public abuse when requesting customers use the QR Code ‘check-in’ provided. As it stands, our members are required to provide prominently displayed QR Codes at the front and entrance to the store and the registers in case customers haven’t checked in and, while transacting their purchase, can check-in at the register. Together with other industry cohorts, MGA has successfully avoided our members’ staff and team, who come from a non-LGA of concern and enter an LGA of concern, to not require rapid antigen testing if they have not had at least one vaccination dose. The vaccination date for these employees was also extended to the 6th of September, 2021. A big win for family and private businesses as RAT is onerous to organise in a seven day a week operation. It must be overseen by a medical professional and very expensive at $25 per test for our members to absorb.
NSW COVID SBC & Minister Tudehope 2 August 21
NSW Treasury Business Recovery Scott Farlow 16 Aug 21
We thank the NSW Government for their very close engagement with all businesses in these times of extreme challenge.
NSW Health and Business Meeting re RAT and Vax26 August 21
