•
Addition of this new group acknowledges that the possibility of fomite transmission of COVID-19 via surfaces has not been ruled out.
8. Health practitioners carrying out work airside. These workers are required to be tested every 7 days, beginning 22 April 2021. 9. Workers at accommodation services (other than private dwellinghouses) where relevant aircrew members are self-isolating. These workers are required to be tested every 14 days, beginning 22 April 2021. Note: In view of the new and more transmissible strains of the virus, the frequency of required testing has been increased for some groups of border workers identified as being at higher risk of exposure because of the nature of their work and interaction with potentially infectious persons.
“In the aviation context, “affected items” might include items such as: ▪
Machinery or equipment, or parts, removed from an affected aircraft for repair or service
▪
Firefighting and safety equipment removed from an affected aircraft for repair or service
▪
Laundry, removed from an affected aircraft,
▪
Items for passengers’ personal use such as headsets removed for cleaning and re-use,
▪
Food utensils and catering equipment,
▪
Garbage or garbage containers, including expired medical stores and unused or partially eaten meals removed from an affected aircraft.
Note, this is not intended to be an exhaustive list. It is also noted that in many cases repairs, servicing or cleaning of machinery or equipment would be carried out on the aircraft.
Appendix IV sets out some examples of situations where workers in the air border context are “affected workers” handling “affected items” and therefore subject to the new testing requirements.
Clarification of requirements for spacing intervals between regular testing The Required Testing Order has been amended to clarify how the required testing frequency must be implemented. It now specifies that the time between tests must not exceed the length of the relevant testing cycle. By way of example, if the applicable testing period is every 7 days, and a person becomes an affected person on 10 May, the affected person’s first test must be no later than 17 May. If recurring testing is required, and the affected person was first tested on 15 May, the second test may not be later than 22 May. If the second test was on 19 March, the third test may not be later than 26 May. When it commenced in August 2020, the Required Testing Order required certain worker groups to be tested ‘once every 7 days’ or ‘once every 14 days’ from a specified date. The intent of the Order was for affected workers to be tested as close to the end of the applicable testing cycle as possible
6
