The Covid-19 Policy Co-Ordination Unit within NSW Treasury has advised that, with NSW reaching the 90% vaccination mark, a number of significant changes apply immediately to all optometry practices in NSW.
The changes are:
• Optometry practices may provide routine eye care for all patients, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, without needing to discern between the two,
• Optometry practices may permit unvaccinated patients/customers to browse the general retail area of the practice without limitation.
with NSW reaching the 90% vaccination mark, a number of significant changes apply
This means practices do not need to check the vaccination status of anyone entering the practice.
The density limit of one person/2 sq metres applies inside all practices.
Staff Vaccination
• Private practice optometrists are not required to be vaccinated.
• There is no longer any requirement for front-of-house to be vaccinated in order to work.
Note however that this does NOT change the right of the practice owner to decide whether or not they wish to accept unvaccinated patients or to insist that staff are vaccinated. It simply means that there is no government compulsion to accept or reject patients or staff on the basis of their vaccination status.
In essence:
• You can see unvaccinated or vaccinated patients without limitation
You are not required to check the vaccination status of anyone who enters the practice
You can permit anyone who visits the practice to browse as normal
Unvaccinated staff (both professional and front of house) are permitted to work.
Adapted from an announcement released by Optometry NSW/ACT
