ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND VULNERABLE STUDENTS

Schools are open for the children of essential workers or vulnerable families. For a definition of an essential worker, please see the advice from ACT Health below.

Essential Workers include:

A person who is:

• working for an essential provider or business that is permitted to operate

• critical to, and involved in, the ACT’s COVID-19 response

• a fly in fly out worker or a drive in drive out worker who is required for industry or business continuity and maintenance where the service is time-critical, who is responsible for critical maintenance or repair of infrastructure critical to the ACT

• a transport, freight or logistics driver

• employed as flight crew

• a member of the ACT Legislative Assembly or the person on the staff of such a member

• a member of the Commonwealth Parliament, or the person on the staff of such a member

• anyone required to ensure the functioning of the ACT Legislative Assembly or the Commonwealth Parliament

• Federal, State or Local Government worker determined to be essential by the relevant Head of the Government Agency

Any person who performs work that is essential for the continued operation of:

• essential health services

• funerary or mortuary services or related activities

• emergency services, including:

  • the State Emergency Services

  • fire fighting services

  • paramedical services

  • ambulance services

  • air ambulance and medical retrieval services

  • police services or protective services officers stationed on border duties or otherwise engaged in policing duties

  • military and defence services deployed for activities in the ACT

  • state security or national security

• a wedding or a funeral

• specialist services at telecommunications stores to support telecommunications as a critical service

Any person who provides or works in the following:

• essential infrastructure and essential services required to maintain or protect the safety, health or welfare of the community or a section of the community (whether provided by a public or private undertaking), includes construction, maintenance and repair of such infrastructure.

• organisations that provide urgent services necessary for the health and safety of any person or animal (for example, food banks, domestic and family violence services, RSPCA).

• urgent repair and maintenance services, including plumbing, electrical and heating repair.

• roadside assistance services.

• domestic and commercial waste and resource recovery services (including collection, treatment and disposal services).

• journalist and media services.

• services related to the administration of justice (but must take reasonable steps to provide services remotely, and must operate in person only for urgent essential services that are not able to be provided electronically)

• In an office building where the work is necessary for the normal operation of an essential business, activity or undertaking.

  • A person is not allowed to work outside of their residence unless providing an urgent an essential service which cannot be undertaken in their residence.

  • Routine, non urgent legal services do not meet the definition of an essential service.

  • Administrative services provided by an employer to enable its employees to work from home are an essential activity.

• a factory or facility that is not able to be shut down without causing damage or loss to plant and equipment, but only those operations that are necessary to prevent that damage or loss.

• veterinarians and any staff to ensure the safe functioning of a veterinary clinic, including home visits where there is a genuine animal welfare issue.

• public transport, including taxis, rideshare services and other public passenger services.

• air transport, including the operation of airports.

• freight services, including postal and courier services.

• furniture removalists, but only where moves cannot be reasonably delayed.

• essential security services

• a blood bank.

• care services for people with particular needs because of homelessness, age, infirmity, disability, illness or a chronic health condition.

• production and distribution of:

  • food and groceries for sale by a supermarket, butcher, fruit and vegetable store, market or fishmonger (including for sale by operators of such premises at an indoor or outdoor market)

  • liquor for sale at a bottle shop

  • medical and pharmaceutical products.

• primary industries only to the extent necessary to ensure adequate supply of food to, and care of, animals and maintenance of crops.

• a hotel, motel or other accommodation facility to the extent that they provide accommodation services in accordance with approved reasons.

• manufacturing, fabrication or assembly of goods and materials necessary for or related to supporting defence or security industries.

• maintenance of essential research activities.

• forestry industry and timber fabricators.

• road repair works.