Scott Morrison says supermarket shelf stackers will be allowed back to work if Covid close contact

Scott Morrison has confirmed supermarket shelf stackers who were a close contact with a Covid-positive case would be allowed back to work if they are asymptomatic.

The Prime Minister stressed Coles and Woolworths checkout staff who served customers would not be back at work before self isolating. 

But with food on short supply at supermarkets, Mr Morrison said workers in essential industries who didn’t serve customers would be allowed back at work, including night-time shelf stackers.

‘Not customer facing, I should note on the food side,’ he said.

‘If we’re talking about Coles and Woolies, we’re not talking about people who are working on checkouts. 

‘Anyone who’s customer facing, they are not doing that, but those who are driving trucks to deliver the food, those who are stacking the shelves at night, those who are at the distribution centres.’

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has endorsed a new set of arrangements covering staff in critical supply chains, including food processing, food production and distribution.

‘You can shut everything but there will be no food on the shelves,’ Mr Morrison said.

‘The issue goes to workplaces being eroded.

‘What that involves is asymptomatic, close contacts being able to go to work in those sectors.’

National cabinet is now considering a series of recommendations, which could be extended to cover transport and aviation.