Supply chains strain again

[Nom De Plume]

Last time it was panic buying which lead to shortages. This time it is genuine disruption due to isolating the infected.

The increasing COVID-19 case numbers and subsequent isolation requirements have put pressure on food manufacturers and the transport and retail sector. On Wednesday Coles reintroduced temporary buying limits on meat and poultry.

A spokesperson told AAP it was expected to take several weeks before things returned to normal.

The latest national cabinet meeting resulted in changes to testing requirements for truck drivers, removing the need for a PCR test every seven days.

The prime minister said the decision was key to ensuring food distribution networks could continue moving.

The extreme staff shortage is having a flow-on effect to everywhere from supermarket shelves to tourist strips.

While density limit restrictions have hit some hospitality venues, others are still struggling to open their doors.

“All of the people that need to go into isolation that are close contacts or indeed actually have contracted COVID themselves means that a lot of these businesses have had to close,” Victorian Tourism Industry Council’s chief executive Felicia Mariani said.

The rampant Omicron variant is causing issues throughout Victoria’s supply chain.

Coles moved first, putting limits on meats and rapid antigen tests.

Further down the highway, Jeff Godden is at his Ormeau warehouse on the northern Gold Coast, where he runs a food distribution business that covers much of south-east Queensland.

"We supply the hospitality industry, so venues such as restaurants, cafes, hotels, clubs, pubs – anything to do with that hospitality industry," he said.

"We buy big brands from major food manufacturers and we are the supply chain to the sector."

His family business has a 6,000-metre warehouse and runs 15 trucks to supply about 1,000 hospitality businesses.

But this week has been tough.

"We had almost 45 per cent of our drivers off, effective Tuesday," he said.

"They are starting to trickle back but then we got more calls today from other drivers saying they can't work due to [being] close contacts."

There is a warning Australia could be facing a meat shortage within weeks, with workers forced into isolation.

Australian Meat Industry Council CEO Patrick Hutchinson told Sky News Australia more rapid tests are needed immediately.

“The food supply chain, not just meat, is under immense strain and is about to buckle,” he said.

“An industry of our magnitude still struggling to get access is showing the current scenario we’re facing as a nation.”

[Black Orchid]

I went shopping on Tuesday and my local Woolworths was struggling and had many empty shelves. Funnily enough Coles and Aldi seemed to be ok, at that time.

[Nom De Plume]

I went shopping on Tuesday and my local Woolworths was struggling and had many empty shelves. Funnily enough Coles and Aldi seemed to be ok, at that time.

Where I live we have lots of empty shelves at all the supermarkets... but IGA was ok.
I guess that will change on my next shopping adventure.

[Bobby]

I went shopping on Tuesday and my local Woolworths was struggling and had many empty shelves.
Funnily enough Coles and Aldi seemed to be ok, at that time.

Just got back from Woolies supermarket.
Not many dunny rolls left and very little meat.

[Trevor P]

Don't worry Bobby, we have a herd out at the farm and the butcher on speed dial we can fix you up in an emergency!

[Bobby]

Don't worry Bobby, we have a herd out at the farm and the butcher on speed dial we can fix you up in an emergency!

Thanks Trev.

[Nom De Plume]

So, because my son works for centrelink, from home, I asked him how it's going... and this is what he said...

crazy 90% of my calls are from people who have contracted covid and are isolating
almost 100k in isolation atm in NSW and over 60k in vic
be ready for food shortages as transport,meat industry and supermarkets are hanging by a thread
workers who are close contacts if covid cases have to isolate so if isolation laws don't change soon state will be effectively slow down and economy stopped
20k cases a day atm and most of those have to isolate and call us that's just in Vic
the pandemic disaster line closes around midday once call waiting times are maxed
so after midday cust usually on hold btw 3-5 hours
they close it because we have no chance of getting through the day even then some that are in the que still miss out
we are doing our best to push cust to complete there claims and upload them online but atm we are sinking in other words we don't ha e the infrastructure atm to compete with the workload
80% of staff including office staff are answering pandemic calls or processing pandemic disaster claims
which makes me wonder how they are even processing reporting and other claims ect
pretty much all hands on deck most of us including myself had to be trained to cope with the pandemic disaster calls I just finished my training a couple of days ago and being slammed when I'm barely trained it's insane!
workers are taking sickies and going on leave lol even the work from home crew gave massive anxiety about it atm

So I said that I never experienced anything like that in all my years working there, and he said...

yeah that's what they are saying at work too, we are not set up or designed to process tens of thousands of pandemic claims a day, so Serco, Centrelink and gov scratching there heads atm
gov has changed pandemic laws which means less close contacts are calling
but when you get 20k cases for a state alone if positive cases with most that need to isolate for a week demanding they get gov relief whatever changes the gov thought they made were the equivalent of taking a feather off the load lol
yeah they will need to make serious changes to pandemic isolation rules either treat it like a common cold and allow people to get in with it most people I speak with aren't terribly sick at all

[sprintcyclist]

So, because my son works for centrelink, from home, I asked him how it's going... and this is what he said...

crazy 90% of my calls are from people who have contracted covid and are isolating
almost 100k in isolation atm in NSW and over 60k in vic
be ready for food shortages as transport,meat industry and supermarkets are hanging by a thread
workers who are close contacts if covid cases have to isolate so if isolation laws don't change soon state will be effectively slow down and economy stopped
20k cases a day atm and most of those have to isolate and call us that's just in Vic
the pandemic disaster line closes around midday once call waiting times are maxed
so after midday cust usually on hold btw 3-5 hours
they close it because we have no chance of getting through the day even then some that are in the que still miss out
we are doing our best to push cust to complete there claims and upload them online but atm we are sinking in other words we don't ha e the infrastructure atm to compete with the workload
80% of staff including office staff are answering pandemic calls or processing pandemic disaster claims
which makes me wonder how they are even processing reporting and other claims ect
pretty much all hands on deck most of us including myself had to be trained to cope with the pandemic disaster calls I just finished my training a couple of days ago and being slammed when I'm barely trained it's insane!
workers are taking sickies and going on leave lol even the work from home crew gave massive anxiety about it atm

So I said that I never experienced anything like that in all my years working there, and he said...

yeah that's what they are saying at work too, we are not set up or designed to process tens of thousands of pandemic claims a day, so Serco, Centrelink and gov scratching there heads atm
gov has changed pandemic laws which means less close contacts are calling
but when you get 20k cases for a state alone if positive cases with most that need to isolate for a week demanding they get gov relief whatever changes the gov thought they made were the equivalent of taking a feather off the load lol
yeah they will need to make serious changes to pandemic isolation rules either treat it like a common cold and allow people to get in with it most people I speak with aren't terribly sick at all

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nom De Plume]

And that's just Centrelink! Extrapolate that out to all workplaces and what you have is a clusterfuck of shit storms.
I note that the streets are very quiet atm... as if people are in a self imposed lock down!

[sprintcyclist]

And that's just Centrelink! Extrapolate that out to all workplaces and what you have is a clusterfuck of shit storms.
I note that the streets are very quiet atm... as if people are in a self imposed lock down!

Yes, a cafe around here was operating usually 2 days ago. Today it was just takeaway coffees and whatever was in the display

Annastacia asked us to go out as little as possible for the next 6 weeks