Prime Minister wants close contact rules to change ‘quickly’ as COVID-19 cases drop in NSW, Queensland
The Prime Minister wants to change the rules for close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases as quickly as possible.
Scott Morrison said for people running hospitality businesses with children, the close contact rule can make it difficult for people to work if the child becomes sick.
“I mean, we all know what it’s like with kids and flus and other things, you know, they bring it home and then the whole family has to stay home and can’t go to work so that rule is becoming, we believe, as leaders, redundant,” he said.
“So we have tasked the medical expert panel to say we want your urgent advice on this as soon as possible because we would like to say goodbye to that rule as quickly as we can.”
It comes as National Cabinet agreed yesterday to consider a new system where close contacts of COVID-19 cases may not be required to isolate.
New South Wales has recorded 12,850 daily COVID-19 cases and four deaths overnight.
NSW reported 966 hospitalisations and 40 ICU admissions, a slight drop in comparison to yesterday’s hospitalisations.
The daily case numbers have dropped yet again from yesterday’s 14,034 infections.
Victoria
Victoria has reported 6075 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours.
Eleven people died with the virus in the state.
There are 175 people in hospital and 22 people in intensive care.
Case numbers and hospitalisations have both dropped overnight in Victoria.
Queensland
Queensland today reported 4029 new infections and six deaths.
Both numbers are slight drops compared to yesterday, when they were 4327 and eight respectively.
Hospitalisations and ICU admissions have also both dropped, down to 247 and 15 from 250 and 16 respectively.
Restrictions ease in South Australia
COVID-19 restrictions have eased in South Australia, marking the return of singing and dance floors.
Density limits have been scrapped in hospitality venues.
The 50-person cap on home gatherings has also been lifted.
It comes as the state records 2374 new COVID-19 cases.
A man in his 40s who had contracted the virus has passed away. Nine people in the state remain in ICU.
Western Australia
Western Australia has recorded 4300 new local COVID-19 infections.
It brings the state’s total active cases to 22,757.
There are 103 people with COVID-19 in hospital, five of which are in ICU.
Call for return of COVID-19 restrictions in NSW
Meanwhile NSW health authorities have called for the reintroduction of some COVID-19 restrictions amid projections case numbers could top 25,000 a day in a month.
NSW Health has recommended the return of mandatory indoor masks, density limits, a ban on singing and dancing, and a return to working from home, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard has however said he is “not at all keen” to reintroduce COVID-19 restrictions, and the return of COVID-safe procedures would be a “last resort” despite concerns about a new sub-variant of Omicron and the lagging booster rollout.
Premier Dominic Perrottet has previously said he would be prepared to tweak or tailor restrictions based on COVID-19 hospitalisations and ICU admissions.
Data has shown virus infections could substantially rise over the next three months.
Infectious diseases expert Professor Robert Booy agreed with the state’s health minister that restrictions should not be reintroduced.
“I think we need to head in a direction that gets people back into jobs, back into the workplace,” he said.
“I don’t think we need to jump back as Hazzard has said, it is the last resort.”
Currently in NSW, face masks are only required on public transport and public transport waiting areas, planes, and indoors at airports, public hospitals, private health facilities, residential aged care facilities or hostels and indoor music festivals with more than 1000 people.
Professor Booy flagged daily case numbers are likely to rise in the coming months as well as the resurgence of flu cases.
“When we get an outbreak of flu it will most likely be flu but then it will die off and then be followed by the next outbreak of Omicron,” he said.
“There is no guarantee we get another outbreak of Omicron, I hope not but it is on the cards.”
Your COVID-19 questions answered
He said there is a “strong possibility” another variant of Omicron will occur later in winter.
