What you need to know

• Health and medical settings have stringent vaccination requirements for all service providers, including administrative and maintenance workers
• Some premises may be considered health and medical facilities if such services are regularly delivered in that space
• Some disability providers may have some premises that are considered health and medical facilities, and some that are not; this is decided on a site-by-site basis

The Public Health Direction for Tasmania relating to health care settings requires that a person is not permitted to enter, or remain on, the premises of a medical or health facility for employment, engagement (including volunteering), placement, or work experience, unless they are sufficiently vaccinated against COVID-19.

The requirement includes all non-health workers within medical or health facilities to also be vaccinated. That includes administrative, maintenance, and other staff.

Medical and health facilities include:

• hospitals, both public and private, and day-procedure centres
• premises owned, or operated by or on behalf of, the Department of Health
• commercial premises where health and medical services or treatments are provided on a regular basis

Public Health has confirmed that if disability service providers have premises that are used on a regular basis for health and medical services, it is considered to be a health and medical facility.

“A regular basis” is defined as once a week or more frequently.

In this case, everyone employed or engaged by the facility would need to be vaccinated.

NDS has been advised that board members employed or engaged by a medical or health facility are required to be vaccinated.

Multi-use facilities

In the case of multi-use facilities, and premises used by multiple organisations, the requirement for vaccination extends to all people who use that same physical area that is used for health and medical treatments on a regular basis.

When organisations have multiple sites, the direction is based on each premises. It may be the case that some sites are medical or health facilities, and others are not. More information and examples are available on the Tasmanian Government website.

Persons entering the site to undertake maintenance do not need to be vaccinated if they are at the facility in their capacity as a visitor. That is, the person is not employed or engaged by the facility.

On 4 November 2021, the Premier of Tasmania mandated vaccination for disability support workers who provide high intensity support services to NDIS participants.

Useful links:

• Disability Support Workers | Coronavirus Tas Gov
• Vaccination options
• Australian Government Department of Health - Disability provider Alerts
• Australian Government Department of Health - Providing disability support services during COVID-19
• Australian Government Department of Health - COVID-19 vaccine information for disability service providers
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) resources for health professionals, including aged care providers, pathology providers and health care managers

Article sourced from National Disability Services