Victoria’s Workplace (Additional Industry Obligations) Directions (No 18) require that in-scope workers undertake surveillance testing for COVID-19, as listed in the Surveillance Testing Industry List.
All ports of entry workers who are in scope must get tested once each week as follows:
- A person who interacts with multiple crews/ships each day requires testing once per week;
- If workers only occasionally interact with crews or ships, they still need to be tested weekly, up to 14 days from the last interaction;
- There are no specific days on which workers must get tested (e.g. days 7 and 14). Testing can occur on any day within the first week, as long as every subsequent test is no more than seven days after this.
Employers of ports workers in scope for weekly surveillance testing must report the numbers of workers tested in the past week.
- Employers whose workers are in-scope for testing will receive an email each Friday from the Department of Health, containing a link to the reporting form;
- Employers must report the number of workers tested during the previous week (Monday to Sunday), with the report due by 5pm each Monday. A separate online reporting form is used each week to ensure the integrity of the data – do not use the link in a previous week’s email;
- Employers who have testing numbers to report but who have not received an email from will need to contact the Department of Health.
Employers must complete the report weekly, even if no workers were required to undertake testing that week (e.g. it has been more than 14 days since workers last interacted with international crew or vessels).
