THE region's truckies have given their tick of approval to new transport worker isolation rules, which allows asymptomatic close contacts to return to work immediately - pending rapid antigen test results.
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The change, which was introduced by the NSW government to help counter supply shortages around the nation, has been described as a "great option" by Tamworth Transport Supply Chain Cluster coordinator Susan Sims.
After speaking to numerous truck drivers and haulage company operators, she said the overwhelming feeling was that it would be beneficial to the industry, although some businesses may choose to play it safe.
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"What they've said is it's great to have that option to bring back close contacts who have no symptoms, so it doesn't mean everyone is just coming back to work, it's on a case by case basis," she said.
"It's going to make a huge difference to operations because when they were losing staff for seven days, even though they may have been perfectly well and not developed symptoms, it was a real problem for all of the major businesses in town."
She said between that and not requiring a test to enter any state aside from WA, which local drivers don't often travel to anyway, the industry is bouncing back a little from where it was a few weeks ago.
Ms Sims was keen to emphasise the new changes don't mean drivers will be rocking up when they're crook though, as they will have to complete a RAT every day they would have otherwise been in isolation for.
Given the shortage of rapid tests at the moment, she said it will not be an option for all businesses straight away. But it's a step in the right direction with local operators relieved to see changes being made before the industry was totally crippled.
"It is a good idea and it is making a positive impact on them, but without the option of bringing people back, if everyone was out on furlough, the show would grind to a halt," she said.
"That's what they were really worried about, it was escalating to the point that we were like 'bloody hell, who's going to drive the trucks'."
There has been a mixed reception within the industry however, with the Transport Workers Union delivering a scathing review of the decision.
"Scrapping isolation requirements for transport workers is beyond reckless - workers are being thrown to the wolves by a government that continues to ignore all the warnings," secretary Michael Kaine said.
"We know even if you're asymptomatic you can still spread the virus. Requiring potentially sick people to go to work won't make supply chains healthy.
"Sick drivers won't get stock onto supermarket shelves any faster but it will certainly help the virus hitch a ride across Australia."
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