If you're infected with COVID-19, and need to be out and about, please think of others and wear a mask. Photo: Getty
From Friday, Australians are no longer be legally required to isolate at home if they have tested positive with COVID-19.
This is probably the most significant shift in COVID-related public health policy. Because it means you’re essentially free to go shopping, ride the trains and planes, attend family gatherings or even go to work.
However, if infected, you’re still legally required to wear a mask when indoors.
There has been no suggestion this will be enforced, except in hospital and health care settings, where everyone, infected or not, is required to wear a mask.
Of course, your family and workmates won’t thank you for heading out into the wider world. Nor would your fellow shoppers or commuters be happy knowing they were mingling at close quarters with an infected person.
Public health officials are urging you to stay home and get tested if you have symptoms, and to wear that mask if you head out.
But again, you won’t be compelled to do so outside of your own sense of personal responsibility.
This week, the NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant urged people “to continue to look out for one another”.
She offered the following advice:
Dr Chant said it was important “we continue to think of others, especially those most vulnerable and the best thing people of all ages can do to protect themselves remains to make sure they are up to date with their COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations”.
This week change.org started a petition calling for “the existing mandatory isolation period for those infected with COVID-19” to remain in place.
The petitioners quote Australian Medical Association president Professor Steve Robson: “All the signs are that we’re looking at another wave of COVID.
“I think people who are pushing for the isolation periods to be cut are not scientifically literate and are putting the public at risk, and they need to understand that.”
Professor Brendan Crabb, a microbiologist and chief executive of the Burnet Institute said: “It’s disappointing, a pretty dark day actually. You know, it’s illogical and uninformed. For me, I find it distressing.”
Dr Monique Ryan, former director of neurology at the Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital and now independent federal member for Kooyong, has publicly called on the national cabinet to release all health advice provided to them that was used to inform the decision to scrap mandatory COVID isolation.
She said: “The public have a right to know how and why this decision was made.”
As of Friday morning, the petitions had been signed by more than 11,000 people.