Major changes to Covid-19 rules
Covid-19 restrictions are set to ease across the country as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced major changes to the current rules.
Following national cabinet on Wednesday afternoon, Albanese announced that the mandatory seven-day isolation period will be scrapped from September 9th.
The isolation period for Covid-positive people with no symptoms will be reduced from seven days to five days, allowing them to return to work sooner with precautions.
However, Albanese said the seven-day period will remain for workers in high-risk settings including aged care and disability care as per advice from the chief health officer.
“If you have symptoms we want people to stay home. We want people to act responsibly,” Albanese said.
“This was a proportionate response at this point in the pandemic.”
The PM also announced that mandatory mask-wearing on domestic flights will also be scrapped.
Masks will also no longer be legally required on domestic flights from next Friday, bringing flights in line with requirements in domestic terminals where mandatory face coverings were ditched in mid-June - along with the relaxation of mandates in most settings across the country.
“We’ll continue to assess these issues and what restrictions are appropriate at any point in time,” Albanese said.
Amid the new changes, the PM also said the eligibility for the $750 emergency leave support would be updated to reflect the change to five days, meaning the payment will be cut to $540.
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