query.get_nearby_entities not working from block

the query 'query.get_nearby_entities' is not working when called inside a block permutation.

For example, the query below always returns false (even when player is standing in a radius of less than 4 blocks):
query.count(query.get_nearby_entities(4, 'minecraft:player')) > 0

PS: I've tested the query from an animation controller on the player and the query does work, just not on blocks. So I'm sure its just an issue when using on blocks.