Rethink on Quarantine of Close Contacts Exemptions Needed

Media Release

14 January 2022

‘A re-evaluation of the industry categories for the quarantine of close contacts exemptions is urgently needed’, said Robert Mallett, CEO of the TSBC.

‘I applaud the government for recognising the critical need for key activities to be undertaken but the list falls short.

‘A critical additional sector which needs to be considered is the automotive sector. It is no use exempting the emergency services sector, day centres, agriculture and fisheries if they are able to maintain their vehicles and essential mechanical infrastructure to undertake their work.

‘In addition, it is no use having groceries and pharmacy products on the shelves and no one to sell them.

‘Whilst technically everybody who works in a small supermarket or grocery store packs the shelves as part of their daily activities, it shouldn’t be up to the small business owner seeking the exemption to try and interpret the rules when in some cases up to eight people may be absent and asymptomatic.

‘Tasmanians do have to be careful but having potentially thousands of healthy Tasmanians isolating ‘just in case’ is not healthy for business, the economy or the employees state of mind.

ROBERT MALLETT
CEO
TASMANIAN SMALL BUSINESS COUNCIL
0408 144 884