News | 15 January

To: CCF Victoria staff, members and stakeholders.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update – From the CEO desk.

Good afternoon.

Having just returned from interstate on annual leave, I now have personal experience of the new permit scheme to enter Victoria and the fantastic quarantine control / procedures at Melbourne Airport. Fortunately, my wife spent holiday time in a “Green Zone” and passed all Victorian border / entry procedures with “flying colours.”  

Positive Cases and Outbreaks

Latest reports released today indicate that there have been no locally acquired positive cases in Victoria now for 9 days and we are moving back to pre-Christmas COVID Summer settings.  

The Premier, Daniel Andrews, announced yesterday that with no current evidence of community transmission in Victoria, and our new permit system providing confidence that any interstate outbreaks can be appropriately managed, the Chief Health Officer (CHO) has recommended that it is safe for Victorians to continue heading back to on-site office work. A copy of the Premier’s Media Release is available via the attached link.

https://www.ccfvic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/C-19-Premier-Media-Release.14Jan21.pdf

This means relaxing some of the latest requirements for wearing face masks and a return to work for office workers, detailed below.

Return to Office Work

The CHO has announced that workers in the private sector can return to offices at a 50 percent level and public sector workers at a 25 percent level from Monday 18 January 2021. Offices with fewer than 40 staff can have 20 staff on site, subject to density quotients.

Update on Face Masks

From midnight Sunday 17 January, face masks will no longer be mandatory indoors including offices, save for the obvious locations where they remain mandatory such as

  • On public transport
  • Riding in a taxi/ride share
  • Shopping centres and indoor markets
  • Large retail stores
  • Domestic flights and airports
  • Hospitals

This updates and overrides earlier advice given that face masks must be worn indoors on building and construction sites in offices, crib rooms and amenities.

However – our Industry COVID-19 Guidelines still require workers to carry face masks and wear them in hoists/lifts and where physical distancing of 1.5 metres cannot be maintained.

The total number of workers permitted on site at any one time is subject to a density quotient of one person per two square metres in common areas – this includes offices, crib rooms and amenities.  More information is available at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

Until my next update …. keep well – keep safe.

Kind regards

John Kilgour

CEO, CCF Victoria

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