Food distribution warehouses childcare centres hit by exposures

Hundreds of critical workplaces continue to be hit by COVID-19 exposures, with warehouses and distribution centres conducting contact tracing in-house as health authorities focus on “higher-risk” locations.

There have been more than 150 COVID-19 cases among food logistics and distribution employees during NSW’s outbreak, affecting 98 facilities, according to the union representing these workers.

The Woolworths distribution centre at Minchinbury. Earlier this year, more than 500 Woolworths distribution employees were in isolation due to virus exposures.Credit:Nick Moir

United Workers Union estimated at least 3000 people employed in warehouses that supply stock to supermarkets in NSW and related logistics operations had been required to isolate for a fortnight following a virus exposure over the course of the state’s outbreak.

Meanwhile, data from the national childcare authority showed more than 100 childcare and early learning centres were being shut in NSW each week due to potential virus exposures.

NSW Health said it did not have data on the number of food distribution sites affected by COVID-19 exposures.

Signs indicating items are unavailable have become regular sights on Sydney’s supermarket shelves over the past two months due to supply chain disruptions.

Union logistics director Sam Roberts said it had been asking for a crisis meeting with the state government and SafeWork NSW for more than six weeks.

“High levels of casualisation in the logistics industry has created a situation where people are faced with choosing between putting food on the table or potentially spreading the virus,” he said.

“Also, high case numbers in the industry means the supermarket supply chain is being continually disrupted.”

Mr Roberts expressed concern that worksites were conducting contact tracing themselves with “little or no scrutiny” from NSW Health or SafeWork NSW.

Last month, warehouse workers at Scott’s Refrigerated Logistics’ western Sydney warehouse, which supplies supermarkets including Aldi and Coles, walked off the job after they claimed they were directed to continue working after coming into contact with a positive case. Sixteen cases resulted from the exposure.

A Scott’s spokesperson denied employees had been directed to continue work after reporting illness and said its employee isolation plan had been developed in close consultation with NSW Health.

Mr Roberts called for onsite testing at critical workplaces, an onsite strategy for the vaccination rollout and mandating paid pandemic leave.

“Vaccination is the way out of the pandemic but there are some more immediate measures that can be implemented to help control the spread.”

NSW Health Deputy Chief Health Officer Jeremy McAnulty confirmed health authorities had been working with businesses “for many weeks now” to conduct infection control activities, including contact tracing.

“Businesses are often in the best place to know how their systems work, who is most at risk,” Dr McAnulty said, noting authorities were “very concerned” about keeping critical businesses, including food distribution, operating.

Health authorities were instead focusing their efforts on “higher-risk” sites including smaller workplaces, prisons, aged care facilities and hospitals, Dr McAnulty said.

A part of a COVIDSafe plan used at Woolworths distribution centres seen by the Herald suggests casual contacts of COVID-19 cases can return to work before receiving a negative PCR test provided they have daily rapid antigen testing. Close contacts are directed to isolate for 14 days.

“Proactive measures like rapid antigen testing are proving effective and helping keep our team members, and their families, as safe as possible,” a Woolworths spokesperson said.

“Importantly, they’re also helping get product supply back on track, with a full workforce in our distribution centres ramping up deliveries to our stores.”

The last transmission event at a Woolworths Sydney distribution centre was in late August. There have been up to 500 Woolworths distribution centre employees in isolation at one time and more than 3000 supermarket staff.

A Coles spokesperson did not respond to questions about the number of exposures at its facilities but confirmed it was assisting with contact tracing at its sites.

During NSW’s outbreak, health authorities have consistently said the bulk of the state’s infections caught the virus from a household contact or in an essential workplace.

Childcare centres attended by the children of essential workers in NSW continue to be affected by virus exposures.

Data from the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority showed, for the last three weeks of August, more than 100 childcare centres were closed each week. However, the authority does not publish whether the centre shut due to a confirmed case at the facility, or out of caution due to a suspected case or a case in its community.

On Friday, a NSW Health spokesperson said 236 early childhood centres had been notified of having an exposure in the past month.

Share this post