Covid cases nearly double to 21,151 in NSW, but hospitalizations stagnant, while Victoria reports 5,919 – as Australians queue for hours for tests despite new rules
- NSW recorded 21,151 new COVID-19 infections and six deaths on Friday
- Isolation rules come into force in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, SA and ACT
- Close contacts only need to be isolated for seven days and rapid antigen testing
NSW 21,151 new ones have been recorded COVID-19 cases and six deaths while Victoria has 5,919 new infections and seven deaths.
The new cases announced in NSW on Friday set a new pandemic record with figures of 12,226 cases reported on Thursday.
Australians from five states and territories are now required to isolate for seven days only if they have been in close contact.
NSW, Victoria, queensland, South Australia And the act will adopt a new definition of close contact agreed on Friday at Thursday’s national cabinet meeting.
In those jurisdictions, a close contact would only cover domestic or intimate contacts who spent more than four hours with a positive case.
They will only need a rapid antigen test and will be able to leave isolation after seven days if they return a negative RAT on the sixth day.
Australians from five states and territories now only need to self-isolate for seven days if they are a close contact
NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and ACT will adopt a new definition of close contact agreed on Friday at Thursday’s national cabinet meeting.
Positive cases will be able to leave isolation seven days after their positive test regardless of vaccination status, but will need to return a negative RAT on the sixth day.
South Australia will continue with a 10-day quarantine period for cases and close contacts.
Symptomatic close contacts would still need to undergo a PCR test and a positive RAT would have to be confirmed by a PCR test.
Tasmania will join the new arrangement from 1 January, with the Northern Territory and Western Australia to be announced in the coming days.
The Australian Medical Association expressed its concern over the new arrangements, saying the revised definition appeared to be ‘pasting politics over health’.
AMA President Dr Umar Khurshid said with the narrower definition more cases would be missed, which could accelerate the outbreak.
For example, anyone who catches Omicron in a restaurant or pub, and who is asymptomatic, will not know they are infected and can transmit the virus to more vulnerable people.
‘It seems that the national cabinet is willing to bet that the large-scale Omicron outbreak will not lead to a large number of hospitalizations.’
State testing centers will conduct rapid antigen tests in the coming weeks, but the tests will not be made available free of cost across the board, the prime minister says.
“For those who require one by regulations, rapid antigen tests will be provided publicly at those testing centers,” Scott Morrison said.
The Australian Medical Association expressed its concern over the new arrangements, saying the revised definition appears to ‘put politics over health’.
‘For all other incidental uses, that’s what the private market is all about.’
Mr Morrison encouraged Australians to get their booster shots if eligible, saying the high vaccination rates gave the government confidence in adopting the new measures.
About 4.1 million Australians will be eligible for their booster shot by the end of Friday, and will increase to 7.6 million when the interval between the second and third doses is reduced to four months on 4 January.
Lt Gen John Freeven, in charge of the country’s vaccine rollout, said supplies were not a concern.
“Currently 30 lakh doses of mRNA (vaccines) are sitting on the shelves (and) in the first two weeks of January, we will be distributing 60 lakh doses of mRNA to GPs, pharmacists and state centres,” he said.
‘Plus, there are another 16 million doses of mRNA sitting in warehouses awaiting delivery.’
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