ABSTRACT

Australia and with that Queensland have been extremely fortunate with the impact of COVID-19. Queensland has only had 1,067 cases as of June 30, 2020, of which 78% have been overseas acquired. Australia and Queensland acted early to address COVID-19 by putting in place a range of strategies including travel bans (international and domestic), isolation measures, testing regimes, advice to business, economic support, and research funding. Agriculture was designated an essential business and as such has continued operating throughout the pandemic. They have however had to develop and implement COVID plans to keep workers safe. To help agricultural business establish plans information was developed by Safe Work Australia, National Farmers Federation and the Queensland Department of Workplace Health and Safety. Workforce issues were identified early, particularly seasonal workers (those who travel from their usual place of residence to another place to work). The Queensland Government enacted a directive about how seasonal workers were to be managed and also developed a guide specifically for horticulture to help manage their COVID-19 response. We provide two case studies demonstrating how agriculture has responded to COVID-19. Agriculture has successfully, in Queensland, adapted quickly to the changing work conditions due to COVID-19. This is due to all levels of government coming together with industry to find solutions. Some changes have had wider benefits such as improved sanitation, better communication and a greater recognition of seasonal worker needs. Being prepared and resilient has enabled agriculture to alleviate the impact on their businesses ensuring the health of all.

摘要

澳大利亚和昆士兰州对COVID-19的影响感到非常幸运。截至2020年6月30日，昆士兰州仅有1067例，其中78％已从海外收购。澳大利亚和昆士兰州采取了一系列战略，包括旅行禁令（国际和国内旅行），隔离措施，测试制度，对企业的建议，经济支持和研究资金，早日采取行动应对COVID-19。农业被指定为必不可少的行业，因此在整个大流行中一直在持续经营。但是，他们必须制定并实施COVID计划，以确保工人安全。为了帮助农业企业制定计划，澳大利亚安全工作局，全国农民联合会和昆士兰州工作场所健康与安全局开发了信息。尽早发现劳动力问题，特别是季节性工人（从通常的住所旅行到另一个工作场所的人）。昆士兰州政府颁布了有关如何管理季节性工人的指令，还制定了专门针对园艺的指南，以帮助管理其COVID-19应对措施。我们提供了两个案例研究，展示了农业如何应对COVID-19。在昆士兰州，由于COVID-19，农业已经成功地迅速适应了不断变化的工作条件。这是由于各级政府与业界一起寻找解决方案。一些变化带来了更广泛的好处，例如改善了卫生条件，更好的沟通以及对季节性工人需求的更多认识。做好准备并具有韧性，使农业能够减轻对其业务的影响，确保所有人的健康。