Packaging businesses across the country are allowed to continue to keep operating in lockdowns, as new restrictions are implemented in most states to try and rein in the latest Covid-19 outbreak.
Packaging is classed as essential services, which means that under current restrictions packaging businesses can remain open, and can manufacture, but with certain conditions.
Those conditions include allowing staff who can work from home to do just that, so admin and sales staff should, where possible, not be coming into the workplace.
It also means staff at work need to wear masks at all times. Social distancing needs to be maintained, which includes the 1.5m rule and maximum one person for every four sqm inside. A Covid-safe plan needs to be implemented, communicated and understood by staff. Details of any visitors need to be registered.
Visiting clients in their workplace is a grey area, although PVCA urges caution in all respects. Areas in full lockdown currently include Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, and Townsville.
Metro Sydney is in lockdown until midnight on 9 July. South East Queensland, and Perth and Peel in WA are also in full lockdown for the rest of the week. Regional NSW has less onerous restrictions. The New Zealand travel bubble is now paused for the whole of Australia except Victoria.
SA had its first case of the year yesterday, but none today, while Queensland had two cases of community transmission today. NSW saw 24 new cases, most of them coming from known contacts, giving hope that the outbreak is being contained. There were no new cases in Victoria today.
Industry is bracing for ongoing lockdowns, which are set to be on and off until Australia's sluggish vaccine roll-out ramps up and enough of the population is protected from the virus to enable normal life to resume. The government has all but said that won't happen until next year.
