Vaccination and testing for government-nominated accommodation workers
Quarantine facility workers are any Queensland Government agency, Australian Defence Force or government-arranged accommodation employees, volunteers or contractors who perform quarantine services.
Quarantine facility workers performing quarantine services must be fully vaccinated.
A worker must provide evidence of receiving a vaccine to an emergency officer when asked. Proof of an exemption due to a medical contraindication must be provided to the accommodation operator.
Quarantine services
Quarantine services include:
- health services
- personal care services
- security services
- all front and back of house hotel services and cleaning services
- passenger transport services.
Anyone who works at government-nominated accommodation who doesn't fall into one of the above categories does not need to be tested.
Health services or personal care services
Health services or personal care services are any activity that requires you to be physically present at an identified quarantine facility.
Security services
Security services include:
- monitoring compliance of people quarantining under requirements
- marshalling groups of quarantined people in common areas
- accompanying people between different areas within a quarantine facility
- face to face contact with people who are quarantining
- any other activity that involves you being physically present at an identified quarantine facility.
Front and back of house accommodation and cleaning services
Any service or function that requires you to be physically present at the identified quarantine facility including cleaning, laundry, maintenance, kitchen and food services, guest services, front of house, management, or administration, such as:
- cleaning a room where someone is quarantining
- cleaning a room where someone has quarantined
- handling rubbish or linen from a room where someone is quarantining
- handling items that have someone who is quarantining has touched, such as luggage
- providing reception check in and check-out services
- any maintenance work such as repairing or maintaining lighting or air-conditioning
- gardening or landscaping
- preparing meals in the kitchen
- working as an accommodation manager, finance or administration worker where the work is physically located at the identified quarantine facility.
Maintenance and repairs
Maintenance and repair contractors who provide unscheduled or irregular maintenance or repair services must wear a mask and follow infection control directions while at the quarantine facility and be tested if directed by a public health emergency officer.
Transport food or goods
Anyone who is present at an identified quarantine facility only to transport food or goods to or from the facility does not have to be tested.
For example, delivering:
- food or beverages for the facility kitchen
- takeaway meals for guests where the meals are left outside
- clean linen to the facility.
Passenger transport services
Transport providers (excluding ambulance and emergency services) are endorsed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads and have a transport plan in the form approved by the Chief Health Officer.
An endorsed transport provider may, for example, transport an international arriving air crew or passenger who is a quarantine person from the airport or port of entry to a quarantine facility in an endorsed bus or taxi.
If you are an endorsed transport provider or want to become endorsed, you will need to follow these regulations and requirements.
Testing requirements
You must get a COVID-19 test if you are physically present at government-nominated accommodation used for quarantine to provide services or do work of any kind, or you transport people between airports and quarantine accommodation. Workers may undertake a COVID-19 PCR test (throat and deep nasal swab) or a RAT.
A worker is not required to test when they are on leave or when they finish a deployment.
Rolling testing cycle
- Quarantine facility workers should be notified of testing requirements including the time, date, and location of testing.
- Quarantine facility workers who are fully vaccinated must undertake a COVID-19 PCR test or RAT every 7 days after first commencing work or within seven days after the facility becomes an identified facility.
- Quarantine facility workers who are unvaccinated (due to a medical contraindication) must undertake a COVID-19 test after first commencing work or within seven days after the facility becomes an identified quarantine facility.
- Vaccinated and unvaccinated quarantine facility workers must continue to get tested on a rolling 7-day testing cycle. If away for 7 days, they must get tested on their first return shift.
An employer and Venue Manager, or Health Manager, should be notified if a worker misses a COVID-19 test because testing wasn’t available.
Developing symptoms outside of rolling testing cycle
If workers develop COVID-19 symptoms between regular tests, they must be tested for COVID-19 and isolate until they receive a negative test result and have no symptoms.
Testing positive
If a quarantine facility worker tests positive, they must not go to work. They must isolate for 7 days from the date they completed the COVID-19 test.
For more info about when a person can end their isolate period and return to work.
Consent to test
Quarantine facility workers must not attend work if they do not get tested.
A worker who does not consent to a COVID-19 test may be subject to a fine if the worker knowingly continues to provide quarantine services or attend work while untested.
Exemption due to medical contraindication
A medical contraindication is temporary or permanent medical reason why a person cannot have a COVID-19 vaccination.
A qualified medical practitioner is required to complete the medical exemption form and record this on the Australian Immunisation Register.
A person that has evidence of a medical contraindication will be treated as if they are fully vaccinated.
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Quarantine facility workers must comply with personal protective equipment requirements when in a designated zone in a facility and:
- be fit tested for a PFR or P2/N95 respirator
- be trained in how to perform fit checking
- wear a PFR or P2/N95 respirator, eye protection and other personal protective equipment as told by the Queensland Health venue manager when in a designated zone.
Queensland Health will work with hotel operators and employers to implement fit testing and training for PFR and P2/N95 respirators.
All workers will be provided with a mask. If you are unable to wear a mask or respirator you must not enter a designated zone of an identified quarantine facility.
Designated zones
Designated zones are clearly signed throughout government-arranged accommodation and include any of the following:
- a floor where someone is quarantining or has been accommodated
- a corridor connected to a room where a person is quarantining
- a lift, stairwell or other area that provides access to a floor where a person is quarantining or has been accommodated
- an area identified by the Queensland Health manager (e.g. a foyer) during the time a quarantined person is in the area.
An on the spot fine may be given to anyone in a designated zone without a mask on.
Surveillance testing may be required if there is a breach in PPE or if workers in a designated zone are not wearing the appropriate PPE.
Record keeping for accommodation operators
Accommodation operators must be able to supply weekly records of the following:
- a weekly record of the names of quarantine facility workers who have provided quarantine services
- informing workers that they must be tested for COVID-19 before they start duties
- permitting access so quarantine facility workers can be tested
- notice given by quarantine facility workers when undertaking a test
- support for all workers to get tested
- name and contact details of any maintenance and repairs contractors.
All the above records must be stored securely and not used for any other purpose than to give them to an emergency officer or contact tracing officer when asked.
Accommodation operators must support all workers to get tested including those who do not have to comply with COVID-19 testing requirements. Where access to testing is provided, a quarantine facility worker is required to present to be tested for COVID-19.