Complicated rules causing patients to miss out on lifesaving Covid drugs, and a plea to bring back masks

There is a fresh plea to restore masks amid rising levels of new Omicron variants, as thousands of sick people miss out on lifesaving Covid drugs because the rules are too complex.

Thousands of South Australians are missing out on lifesaving Covid-19 antivirals due to overly complicated rules, authorities warn, amid a new plea for masks to be worn at crowded indoor venues.

State Cabinet’s Emergency Management Council on Monday night ruled out fresh mask mandates despite rising levels of new Omicron variants BA. 4 and BA.5.

But the state’s Covid-19 chiefs are instead “encouraging” people to start re-wearing masks, especially in crowded indoor venues.

Authorities also raised concerns about poor mask use on public transport despite coverings being legally required.

The council heard concerns that restrictive and confusing antiviral rules was raising unacceptable public health risks.

It comes as SA unions warn Covid infectious workers are no longer eligible for disaster releif payments due to time away from work – and the number of cases in the state will suffer because of it.

Health Minister Chris Picton said the rules were “really complicated”.

“They are unnecessarily so,” he said.

“There is broad agreement from all the health ministers around the country that we need to loosen them and efforts are being made.

“This is about saving lives. Far too many people don’t know they’re available and they are too hard to get. We will be doing everything we can to protect people.”

SA Health Minister Chris Picton. Picture NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

Chief public health officer for SA, Professor Nicola Spurrier. Picture : NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler will this week meet with the federal government’s 21-member expert advisory panel, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, to relax eligibility rules.

Senior government sources said tens of thousands of patients across the country have received an antiviral despite more than half a million doses being available in Australia.

Currently, antiviral drugs are limited to people who are immunocompromised or those aged over 65 with some sort of comorbidity, such as diabetes.

The vast majority of drugs are available through GPs but some are issued via SA Health clinics for more ill patients.

Chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, updated officials on new modelling that predicts an Omicron wave of between 5000 and 6000 daily cases within three weeks. Over the past few days, cases have fluctuated around 2500. New strain data was unavailable but it is expected to become the dominant strain within weeks.

Australia’s top doctors will also this week consider rolling out a fourth Covid dose.

The Australia Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will deliberate an expansion to under 65 years on Wednesday.

Experts say the more infectious new variants are capable of evading immunity gained from the vaccines and earlier infections. Rules forcing foreign visitors to take a rapid-antigen test on arrival will go.

This file handout photo provided on November 16, 2021, courtesy of Pfizer, shows the making of its Covid-19 antiviral pills, Picture: AFP / Pfizer