Doctors urge people to still isolate,wear masks despite scrapped rules

A peak medical body has urged Australians to continue isolating and wearing masks when sick,with COVID requirements being scrapped as the country enters a new phase of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the dropping of mandatory isolation periods following a national cabinet discussion on Friday,saying “there’s not a role for government in running every bit of people’s lives forever.”

Professor Steve Robson says dropping COVID isolation requirements will have a significant impact on the hospital system.

Professor Steve Robson says dropping COVID isolation requirements will have a significant impact on the hospital system.Alex Ellinghausen

The changes will take effect on October 14,removing the requirement to stay home for five days after testing positive.

Australian Medical Association president Steve Robson warned that dropping the requirement for COVID patients to isolate for five days could potentially lead to new waves of infection.

“Whenever there’s a new wave it has an enormous effect on hospital capacity,” Robson said. “If you are in a vulnerable place,just wear a mask. If you do get sick,try and minimise transmission by isolating.

The decision to drop isolation requirements was made at national cabinet on Friday.

The decision to drop isolation requirements was made at national cabinet on Friday.Alex Ellinghausen

“And while this is going on,let’s rethink how we can organise better air circulation and ventilation.“

Robson also urged people to remain vigilant about vaccination. “People aren’t bothering to have boosters,we’ve got waning immunity in a big way,” he said.

He said that hospitalisations were currently low because so many people had COVID over the past few months – but that number would rise as people become reinfected.

“The COVID numbers look artificially low because the government has made it harder to get a PCR,and no one gives a rat about RATs,” he said.

Robson,who was voted president of the medical body in August,earlier conceded that attitudes to the virus had shifted since the beginning of the pandemic,but said that any approach that involved “living with COVID” meant simultaneously increasing the capacity of health systems across the country.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly has said the impacts of isolation changes on the country’s healthcare systems would be closely monitored,and that data from most recent months shows COVID outbreaks in healthcare and aged care settings have fallen despite shortened isolation periods for the public.

COVID isolation periods had previously dropped from seven to five days as of August 31.

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar welcomed the decision,which he said was made after balancing various factors.

“We think it’s a very important signal that we’ve turned the corner,that we are getting back to normal life,and that we can get on with business,” he said.

“If we do see signs that the public health situation begins to deteriorate again ... then,of course,governments have to be prepared to go back and put appropriate measures in place.”

The end of mandatory isolation will also mean the end of pandemic leave payments for eligible workers.

However,the isolation period and payments will still be applicable for workers in high-risk environments such as hospitals and aged care.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation assistant secretary Lori-Anne Sharp said if more variants of the virus emerged,there would be extra pressure on hospitals.

ACTU president Michele O’Neil said the pandemic leave payments should remain,particularly for workers who don’t have sick leave benefits.

with AAP

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Anthony Segaert is a reporter covering urban affairs at the Sydney Morning Herald.

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