Changes to Covid rules explained

Covid rules for isolation are being scrapped across the country from Friday as the government pulls away from restrictions. From October 14, the federal government will end Covid isolation rules and support payments for most workers. Here’s what you need

Do I still need to isolate when I have Covid?

People who test positive for Covid will no longer have to isolate for five days.

Instead, isolation is only required while symptoms are presenting.

Pandemic leave disaster payments – paid to those who take time off work to isolate – will also end on Friday.

The payments will stay in place for casual workers who come down with Covid, though only in high-risk industries.

Workers in aged care, disability care, Aboriginal health care and hospitals will be able to access the payments.

Do I still need to wear a mask?

As people who test positive for Covid are no longer required to isolate, they can still go to work, the supermarket and other indoor areas.

They must still wear a mask in all indoor areas, with the exception of their own home.

Masks are still required in hospitals and healthcare facilities nationwide.

Children under the age of 12 are exempt from this rule in all states except Victoria where children up to eight are exempt

Masks are also required in correctional facilities and justice centres.

Wearing a mask on public transport is still highly encouraged, as it is difficult to physically distance on buses, trains and light rail.

Why are the rules being scrapped?

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly said while the pandemic was not over, there were low rates of Covid-19 community transmission and high vaccination rates.

“It does not in any way suggest that the pandemic is finished,” he said.

“We will almost certainly see future peaks of the virus into the future, as we have seen earlier in this year.

“However, at the moment, we have very low rates of cases, hospitalisations, intensive care admissions, aged-care outbreaks and various other measures that we have been following very closely.”

Anthony Albanese said Australia was moving away from “Covid exceptionalism” and would be treating the virus like the flu.

“We understand the pressures that are there, that is one of the reasons my government has focused as well on the incidences of casual work,” the Prime Minister said.

How many cases have there been?

There were 36,790 new cases across Australia in the week to October 7.

At that time, 1465 people were in hospital and 46 people in intensive care.

There were 189 deaths in the same period, bringing the total number of lives lost during the pandemic to 15,358 people.

Almost 70 per cent of Australians over the age of 16 have had three doses of the vaccine.