The WA government’s new mandate requires workers in a variety of essential services and businesses to get vaccinated. Issued on October 20, the mandate gives different vaccination deadlines for different groups of workers. Depending on what category employees fall into, they’re asked to have received their first dose by either December 1 or December 31. Continue reading for more information about who falls into what group.
Note that petrol stations, roadhouses and truckstops are included in Group 2.
Group 1 Information
The first category of workers addressed in the new mandate are required to have had their first vaccine by December 1, and their second by December 31. This group includes occupations in which risk is sufficient due to high transmission and vulnerability, as well as industries that are necessary to the safety of the community. Group 1 workers include:
- Hospitals and healthcare facilities
- Primary and community health
- Community care services
- Onsite resources sector
- Border and air transport
- Corrective services
- Police
- Fire and emergency services
- Meat processing
- Cross-border freight (in high risk locations only)
Group 2 Information
The next group is asked to receive their first vaccine by December 31, and to be fully vaccinated by January 31. Group 2 is made up of categories of workers which have been deemed critical to the ongoing delivery of business and function of the community. This group’s workers include:
- Supermarkets
- Restaurants
- Post offices
- Hardware stores
- Childcare
- Financial institution
- Infrastructure or services necessary for health, safety, and welfare
- Petrol station, truck stops, and roadhouses
- Public and commercial transport
- Hotel and accommodation services
- Funeral and mortuary services
- Construction and maintenance
- Education (must be vaccinated before term 1 of 2022 school year
In the Event of a Lockdown
The mandate also includes information about categories of workers that would be required to receive the vaccine in order to attend work in the event of a lockdown or similar restrictions. Groups who would need to be vaccinated in this scenario include:
- Click and collect retail
- Bottle shops
- Newsagents
- Pet stores
- Wholesalers
- Critical conveyancing agents
- Select government services
- Select administrative services
- Members and staff or Parliament of Western Australia
- Vehicle repair services
- Roadside assistance
- Journalism and media
- Critical forestry
- Critical primary industries
- Critical manufacturing
Implementing vaccination requirements in a phased approach, WA’s new mandate is aimed to maintain general health and safety and protect essential businesses and services. For more information about the new requirement, WA’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination information page.
Contact us if you have any further questions.