Push for Covid isolation periods and the whole idea of ‘public health orders’ to be scrapped
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Push for Covid isolation periods and the whole idea of ’public health orders’ – to be scrapped altogether
- Dominic Perrottet has called for an end to mandatory Covid-19 isolation periods
- He will push for the measure to be scrapped during Friday’s national cabinet meeting
- Covid cases and hospitalizations have been declining in Australia since August
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NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet will call for an end to mandatory Covid-19 isolation periods during Anthony Albanese’s national cabinet meeting to be held Friday.
Australians are currently required to isolate for five days after testing positive for the virus.
But on Thursday, the prime minister said it was time for Australia to step away from public health regulations and get back to normal life.
NSW Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet (pictured) will push for an end to mandatory Covid isolation periods during Friday’s national cabinet meeting
“I believe we have to get to a point where if you’re sick, you stay home, and if you’re not, you go out and enjoy life,” he said.
“It’s always a balance between public health, broader health issues such as mental health, social well-being, and economic and financial difficulties that people face in our state.”
Perrottet revealed that he had already spoken to other state prime ministers about scrapping the isolation period, but did not reveal who, if any, supported his position.
“I definitely think if we can do that, in a way that we find consensus among the state prime ministers, that’s the best approach.”
He said he would “see tomorrow” whether a prime minister would support his position at the national cabinet meeting.
The number of Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths has been slowly declining across the country since early August.
Pressure to scrap the isolation period comes as a week after NSW lifted the mask mandate on public transport (photo, people wearing masks in Sydney)
14,170 infections were recorded in NSW this week, up from 17,229 the week before.
In the past week, 69 people died of Covid-19, while 1,176 people were hospitalized, 24 of them in the ICU.
It comes a week after NSW ended its public transport mask mandate.
They now only need to be worn in public hospitals, private health facilities, retirement homes and hostels.
The national cabinet recently agreed to reduce Australia’s mandatory isolation period from seven days to five days.