The state government will extend its critical worker exemption scheme to teachers among other professions from Friday.
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Workers in health, welfare, care and support sectors, including the provision and production of medical, pharmaceutical and health supplies, will be able to apply for an exemption to continue to attend workplaces even if there are a close contact of a COVID-19 case.
Workers involved in veterinary and animal welfare services, palliative care, dental services, education and childcare, and the media can also apply for exemptions.
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The government two weeks ago made the exemption scheme available to those in the emergency services, utility and infrastructure services, agricultural production, public transport, freight and logistics, the manufacture of essential goods, and correctional facilities.
Mr Gutwein said 128 businesses and 686 workers had received approval to continue work arrangements despite being recognised as close contacts.
Eleven businesses have had their applications for an exemption refused.
Mr Gutwein said the government had distributed about 4000 rapid antigen tests to businesses with exemptions for close contact workers.
"We will continue to provide those first two weeks worth of RATs to businesses as they come online under this program," he said.
Under the arrangement, a worker recognised as a close contact though an essential part of a workforce would need to isolate for seven days while not at work.
To be exempt, a worker must be fully vaccinated and asymptomatic.
They are not able to attend their worksite unless they have returned a negative COVID-19 test for each day that they are required to isolate.
For a close contact to return to work, a business or employer would have to prove staff shortages had impacted the supply of critical goods and services and that other solutions to this had been investigated.
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