Keeping kids at school key to worker shortages

People planning to attend Covid parties in the hope of getting the virus have been slammed as “ridiculous” with Scott Morrison warning that people can be reinfected with Omicron.

The soaring number of positive infections was at the forefront of national cabinet talks on Thursday as leaders prepare for kids to return to the classroom this month.

The Prime Minister urged people to be responsible about their health and continue using common sense, saying the goal was no longer about stopping everyone in the country from getting Covid.

“All this nonsense about Covid parties, it is ridiculous,” Mr Morrison said.

“If you think you can go out there and get the virus and get it over with, that is not how it works. That is not how the virus is writing the rules. The goal is to protect our hospitals and keep our society, and economy, functioning as we ride this latest wave of Omicron.”

Leaders also heard that at least 10 per cent of the nation’s workers were expected to be ­absent from their jobs at any point due to Covid.

But keeping schools open was an important way to prevent workforce shortages from being exacerbated, and the absentee rate rising to 15 per cent.

Mr Morrison said the medical advice stated students could safely return to schools for term one.

“Schools open means shops open, schools open means hospitals are open, it means aged-care facilities are open, it means essential services, and groceries are on the shelves,” he said. “Childcare and schools are essential, and should be first to open and last to close wherever possible, and face-to-face learning prioritised.”

National cabinet also discussed how rapid antigen testing could be used for surveillance testing in childcare and school settings, particularly primary schools.

Mr Morrison said detailed operational plans would be presented at next week’s meeting, which would also include advice about mask wearing.

Concession card holders will be able to access free rapid antigen tests from January 24. Those eligible will have access to 10 free tests over three months, with a maximum of five tests a month.

Pharmacies will have to source their own supplies, but will be reimbursed under a funding agreement between federal and state governments.

More than one million Australians have tested positive for Covid and 2500 have died.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly said Australia had quickly caught up to the rest of the world, with half of its total case numbers diagnosed since the start of January.

PURCHASE LIMITS RETURN

Pet food, pizzas, pasta, rice and chilled drinks have joined the ever growing list of products in short supply in Victorian supermarkets.

Amid major concerns over access to essentials, Woolworths joined Coles in reintroducing purchase limits on toilet paper and painkillers.

The Andrews government announced more isolation ­exemptions in key industries for close contacts of Covid cases as the number of people linked to the disease continues to grow.

The state recorded 37,169 new Covid-19 infections on Thursday and 25 deaths.

Woolworths and Coles ­are now ­enforcing limits of two packs per customer on toilet paper and painkillers amid ­increasing demand.

Supply delays and disruptions due to staff shortages, combined with panic buying, have led to shoppers struggling to secure items that are normally easily available.

Goods currently missing from supermarket shelves ­include toilet paper, meat products, pet food, household cleaning items, chilled drinks, pizza and pastas, pastries, rice, and various fruit and ­vegetables.

Stores are now often displaying signs citing “disruption in the supply chain” to explain bare shelves.

Products to help people cope with Covid symptoms, such as cold and flu tablets and nasal decongestants, are being moved from shelves to behind service desks.

Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers ­Association chief executive Mark McKenzie said about 5 per cent of Victorian petrol stations were also dealing with worker shortages due to isolation requirements, and therefore had to wind back trading hours.

Premier Daniel Andrews said he had met with supermarket chief executives on Wednesday to discuss ways to ease the pressure on supplies.

“Last week was kind of about distribution centres and some real bottlenecks there,” he said. “This week it is about a shortage of truck drivers.”

Mr Andrews said red and white meat providers were under significant pressure, with many cases and close contacts in abattoirs and other parts of the sector.

In response to the shortages, employees in emergency services, education, transport, freight, custodial facilities and critical utilities will be eligible to return to work even if they live with positive cases.

The change to close contact rules, coming into effect from 11.59pm next Tuesday, follows similar rules applied to food distribution staff earlier in the week. The employee and their employer must agree on their return to work, they must be fully vaccinated, and workers must take rapid tests for five days.

National cabinet on Thursday agreed to broaden the relaxed isolation requirements for close contacts who work in essential industries.