HIGH VISABILITY VEST - COLES COVID-19 SAFETY

This vest was ordered by the Coles Group for staff to wear in Coles supermarkets. This vest was used between 2020 and 2022 by staff at the Coles Supermarket in the Stargate Shopping Centre in Kelmscott. The vest was ordered from JB's wear a Australian business that provided bulk orders of work wear for businesses.
In January 2020 stories about the COVID-19 virus spreading around the world start to fill the news. On 21 February Western Australia recorded its first COVID-19 case when a passenger from a cruise ship is airlifted to a hospital in Perth and placed into the intensive care unit. The person dies on 1 March becoming the states first COVID-19 victim. On March 11 the World Health Organisation declares a COVID-19 pandemic. Four days later the Western Australian government declares a state of emergency and a formal public health warning. Other states also declare a state of emergency and on 20 March the Australian Federal Government declared a human bio-security emergency and closed the Australian international boarder to all non-residents and implemented a 14 day quarantine to those entering the country. On day before Tasmania closed its boarder and introduced a mandatory 14 day quarantine to all 'non-essential' travellers. Other states soon followed including Western Australia on 24 March. The states and the Federal Government attempted to implement a COVID-19 suppression and zero transmission policy.
Western Australia starts introducing measures to slow the spread of the virus within the state by first restricting gatherings of large groups of people and then introducing a 2-square-metre separation rule for venues. On 18 March gatherings of over 100 people banned and soon after non-essential businesses are closed down including pubs, café's restaurants, museums, nightclubs, sporting venues, community sporting events and beauty services. Offices are encouraged to send workers home or limit how many are in the office at any one time. Supermarkets, hardware stores, doctor surgeries and other businesses identified as essential are allowed to stay open, Café's and restaurants are allowed to sell takeaway meals.
In April regional travel restrictions are introduced to reduce the spread of the virus and are successful as by late April there are no recorded cases of the virus in the community. This though does not see an immediate easing of restrictions as gatherings of over 10 people are still banned.
In May restrictions are slowly eased, gatherings of up to 20 then 100 people are allowed and eating establishments are allowed to reopen but with restricted capacity. Some regional travel is also now allowed. In June gathering restrictions are eased again and gyms, beauty services and museums are allowed to re-open. COVID-19 outbreaks in other states prevent the easing of all restrictions even though interstate travellers are still required to enter quarantine.
In November the state government introduces a contact tracing QR code system. When ever someone enters a public space or business they are expected to log in using the QR code. The purpose of this was to help contact tracers track people who may have come into contact with an infected person.
On 31 January 2021 Western Australians living in the Perth, Peel and South West Region enter their first 'lock-down' following a person infected with the virus moving through the community. The lock-down lasted for a week forcing many businesses to close their doors and employees to work from home. Over 2 million people could only interact with those they lived with, could not travel more that 5k from their home and could only leave their home to get food, medicine, visit the doctor or for one hour of exercise. The mandatory wearing of masks outside of your home was also introduced.
In February the first COVID-19 vaccine became available and a public health campaign was started to ensure first the vulnerable then all adults received the vaccine.
Over the next year primarily the Perth metro area, Peel and the South West underwent another three lock-downs of various lengths and severity. In June the 2-square- metre capacity rule was relaxed along with the 75% capacity rule for venues. Life in some ways was getting back to normal but ever changing state boarder restrictions meant Western Australian's remained isolated from the rest of the country for much of this time
In December following a small break out masks became compulsory in all indoor venues and public transport.
in early 2022 the state reached a 95.3% adult first vaccination dose rate and 87.9% second vaccination dose rate moves were made to open the Western Australian Boarder to vaccinated interstate and overseas travellers. After a brief delay the boarder was opened on 3 March 2022.
With boarders down COVID-19 quickly spread through the Western Australian community. By November 2022 over 1.2 million people had contracted the virus and 750 recorded as having died from or with the virus. The high vaccination rates are attributed to having prevented a far higher death rate.
On the23 September the State Government ended the State of Emergency.