With restrictions easing around the world, this page is dedicated to providing key government & business contacts for our Australian members.
Please note, the information on this page is general in nature and does not contain professional IICT advice or recommendations, nor does it take into account your personal situation.
Our Position
IICT is a membership based organisation that provides benefits to its membership body. IICT does not provide advice to its members about the decisions that members make about the conduct of their businesses or indeed member’s personal health. This includes members’ decisions about vaccination.
This page includes information from Public Health Orders issued on behalf of governments. This information is for information and educational purposes and is not endorsed, or opposed by IICT. IICT has a policy of non-discrimination including on the basis of someone’s vaccination status.
The Australian Federal Government is responsible for the Covid-19 vaccination program in Australia and the NSW Government has issued a number of public health orders. All members of IICT, and all Australians have the right to choose whether they receive a course of Covid-19 vaccination.
Whether or not individual members of IICT are subject to any Public Health Order in force at a particular time is a matter for that member to determine.
IICT Members are however obliged to follow the IICT Code of Ethics as part of the conditions of membership that practitioners are encouraged to review.
AUSTRALIA – Key contacts
We recommend that you visit www.australia.gov.au to stay up to date with the latest news, advice and support from the Australian government.
For business financial support services please click here or visit www.business.gov.au for general business support.
For further professional support, the National Coronavirus Helpline can be contacted on 1800 020 080. The line is open 24/7 and is operated by the Australian government.
For the most up to date information and safety advice for your state/territory of residence, please visit the below links.
- New South Wales
www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/vaccination/requirements-for-workers - Victoria
www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/ - Queensland
www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19 - South Australia
www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/ - Western Australia
www.wa.gov.au/government/covid-19-coronavirus - Tasmania
www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au/ - Northern Territory
https://coronavirus.nt.gov.au/ - ACT
www.covid19.act.gov.au/
INSURANCE
Please contact our insurance partner, BMS, directly on 1800 290 981 or iict@bmsgroup.com for questions or queries related to your insurance policy and specific circumstances.
Return to Work Practices
Safe Work Australia has COVID information across 23 industries so that businesses can return to work in a COVID safe environment. Find out more by clicking here or visiting https://covid19.swa.gov.au/
Workplace Cleaning and Disinfection
For practical cleaning and disinfection guidelines for your business to keep your staff, clients and customers safe please click here or visit Safe Work Australia for more information.
Vaccination Requirements
The below information highlights recent public health orders impacting alternative and complementary health care practitioners. Please note this information has come directly from the government and is not issued or created by IICT. For any questions or queries about how this may impact you and your practice, please contact your local government directly for the most up to date requirements.
18th January 2022
NSW vaccination exemption for stage 2 workers providing services remotely
On the 17th of January 2022, we received confirmation from the NSW Ministry of Health that stage 2 health care workers who provide services remotely are exempt from the public health order.
- An Exempt Person is exempt from clause 8 of the order but only to the extent that they:
a. provide health services with no physical contact with members of the community being provided with the service; and
b. provide that health service entirely from a place where there are no patients, clients and others accessing the health care onsite the premises.
A full copy of the exemption will be published on the NSW Health website.
10th January 2022
NSW vaccination requirements for stage 2 health care workers
To read the full public health order click here.
The Public Health (COVID-19 Vaccination of Health Care Workers) Order (No 3) commenced on 23 December 2021. The Order directs that
- a stage 1 health care worker must not do work as a health care worker unless the worker has received at least 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and
- a stage 2 health care worker must not do work as a health care worker unless they have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by 31 January 2022 and their second dose by 28 February 2022.
A stage 2 health care worker is someone in one of these categories who is not a stage 1 health care worker:
- a person employed in a Public Service executive agency related to the Ministry of Health
- a person employed in the Health Care Complaints Commission Staff Agency
- a person appointed by the Governor or the Minister to an office under the Cancer Institute Act 2003, the Health Administration Act 1982, the Health Care Complaints Act 1993, the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (NSW), the Health Services Act 1987, (vi) the Mental Health Act 2007, the Mental Health Commission Act 2012. This includes members of local health district boards and health professional council members
- registered health practitioners, being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners, Chinese medicine practitioners, chiropractors, dental practitioners (including dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, dental prosthetists and oral health therapists), medical practitioners, medical radiation practitioners, midwives, nurses, occupational therapists, optometrists, osteopaths, paramedics, pharmacists, physiotherapists, podiatrists and psychologists
- unregistered health practitioners who are subject to the code of conduct for unregistered health practitioners. This includes, but is not limited to, speech therapists, audiologists, massage therapists, dieticians and naturopaths and other alternative health care practitioners
- a person who does work in connection with the provision of a health service by a registered health practitioner or an unregistered health practitioner at the premises on which the health service is provided, e.g. a receptionist at a doctor’s surgery.
- another person, or a person belonging to a class of persons, who does work specified by the Chief Health Officer as the work of a stage 2 health care worker for this Order in a notice published on the website of NSW Health.
Unregistered health practitioners who are subject to the code of conduct for unregistered health practitioners are defined by the Health Care Complaints Act 1993 as follows:
A health practitioner means a natural person who provides a health service (whether or not the person is registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law). Health service includes the following services, whether provided as public or private services:
(a) medical, hospital, nursing and midwifery services,
(b) dental services,
(c) mental health services,
(d) pharmaceutical services,
(e) ambulance services,
(f) community health services,
(g) health education services,
(h) welfare services necessary to implement any services referred to in paragraphs (a)–(g),
(i) services provided in connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practices and medical radiation practices,
(j) Chinese medicine, chiropractic, occupational therapy, optometry, osteopathy, physiotherapy, podiatry and psychology services,
(j1) optical dispensing, dietitian, massage therapy, naturopathy, acupuncture, speech therapy, audiology and audiometry services
(k) services provided in other alternative health care fields,
(l) forensic pathology services,
(m) a service prescribed by the regulations as a health service for the purposes of the Health Care Complaints Act 1993.
Health Care Complaints Commission: In NSW, the Commission manages complaints about unregistered health practitioners including, but not limited to, speech therapists, audiologists, massage therapists, counsellors, and naturopaths.
Phone: (02) 9219 7444
Email: hccc@hccc.nsw.gov.au
NSW Code of Conduct for unregistered health practitioners
Service NSW: 13 77 88
NSW Ministry for Health: 02 9391 9000
2nd December 2021
Victoria Myotherapy and HCW Vaccination Requirements
Victoria’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) COVID legal team have issued information regarding healthcare worker vaccination requirements as they apply to myotherapists working solely from their home in client facing roles. The COVID Legal team have received all three vaccination Directions –
- COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions (No 8) (CMVWD)
- COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Specified Facilities) Directions (No 13) (CMVSFD)
- COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (General Workers) Directions (No 3) (CMVGWD)
They have advised that none of these mandatory vaccination directions apply to myotherapists who provide myotherapy services from their ordinary place of residence.
DHHS continues to strongly recommend vaccination against COVID-19 and hope you find this information helpful.
For further information, please read the Media Release from The Premier, Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Health and Medical Research and the COVID-19 Roadmap to recovery fact sheet.