Be.Bendigo has joined calls to ease isolation requirements for household close contacts.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Current rules that apply to most workplace see household contacts of a positive COVID-19 case required to complete seven days of isolations, regardless of test results.
Be.Bendigo chief executive Rob Herbert said the region's long anticipated COVID-recovery is being slowed by current isolation requirements.
Read more: New IGA store to move into Strath Village
"The current isolation requirements make it hard for businesses to plan their staffing with certainty," he said.
"(This makes) it difficult to maximise business opportunities through this COVID recovery period, and reducing their ability to provide services to their customers and clients.
Mr Herbert said Be.Bendigo continued to hear stories of healthy people being required to isolate due to COVID-19 cases in their household.
"This takes them out of the workforce and often unnecessarily disrupts business operations, when they don't actually become positive themselves," he said.
"With wider availability of RATs now, if people are otherwise well, a daily negative RAT should provide a level of assurance that people can go to work, and the pace of the COVID recovery can step up."
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Business NSW say the rules should be relaxed to ease staffing shortages, wanting those deemed close contacts to be allowed to work and undergo daily rapid antigen tests instead.
Victorian Chamber chief executive Paul Guerra said staff shortages continued to hamper business.
"We need to release the handbrake and enable businesses to operate at the maximum capacity possible and lead our economic recovery," he said.
Multiple Victorian worker groups are already exempt from isolating as household close contacts, including education, emergency services, healthcare and transport staff.
Premier Daniel Andrews reiterated the state's isolation rules and other COVID-19 restrictions could be scrapped after the peak of the Omicron wave.
He said the peak may have "come and gone" but a few more days of data was needed to confirm the falling seven-day case trend.
"That gives us options in terms of getting rid of the very few remaining rules that we have, and I think you'll see some movement there very, very soon," he told reporters in Wangaratta on Tuesday."
Business NSW chief executive Daniel Hunter said current isolation rules were a barrier to businesses as healthy people were forced to isolate unnecessarily.
"Business needs certainty and we know that they are already struggling with supply chain issues and staff shortages."
with Australian Associated Press.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Download our app on iOS and Android
- Bookmark bendigoadvertiser.com.au
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter @BgoAddy
- Follow us on Instagram @bendigoadvertiser
- Join us on Facebook
- Follow us on Google News