Close contact COVID-19 isolation rules have been urgently scrapped for workers at Sydney International Airport after days of delays that Qantas boss Alan Joyce initially blamed on passengers for not being “match fit”.
The decision to ditch isolation rules for airport workers was meant by the New South Wales minister for health Brad Hazzard after what is believed to have been a personal appeal by the under-pressure Qantas chief executive.
Close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases must still isolate for seven days under New South Wales’ current pandemic restrictions. However, certain ‘critical workers’ are exempted from isolation for the purposes of attending work only.
Until Friday, the list included critical workers like police officers, social workers and supermarket employees but not airport workers. The Public Health Order has now been amended to include airport workers in an effort to reduce the delays.
After taking fire over long wait times at Sydney Airport and elsewhere, Alan Joyce initially laid the blame at the door of his own passengers, saying that they were inexperienced after two years of travel restrictions.
In particular, Joyce said passengers had forgotten how to go through airport security and leaving things like laptop computers and aerosols in their hand luggage was leading to long queues.
Joyce has since walked back his comments after facing outrage from passengers who have been forced to wait in long lines for hours. Some have missed their flights as a result of the airport chaos, while Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have been forced to hold some planes at the gate to wait for passengers.
Since initially blaming customers, it has since emerged that Sydney Airport could be facing staff shortages due to surging COVID-19 cases. People who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for seven days, along with any of their close contacts.
Many other countries which have faced similar worker shortages quickly shortened isolation requirements and scrapped close contact rules in an effort to mitigate disruption.
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) also blames Qantas for laying off thousands of staff during the pandemic for the issues the airline is now facing. Long queues, however, have been reported at airports around the world as the airline industry struggles to recruit fast enough to meet the surge in travel demand.
Along with Sydney Airport, long delays are expected at Heathrow Airport, Frankfurt and Stockholm Arlanda airport over the coming days. The delays are set to peak on Saturday and Sunday as families jet off for the long-anticipated Easter holidays.
