National Covid crisis triggers urgent change in health advice

Australia has recorded more than 50,000 cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, triggering an urgent shift in official health advice.

Health experts have renewed their call for Australians to resume working from home after hundreds of thousands of people caught Covid in the last week.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly told reporters it “wouldn’t be forever” and expected it to only last until the current wave subsides.

“We cannot stop this wave of infections but we can slow the spread and protect the vulnerable,” he said in a statement

“We have done this before and we can do this again. In fact, a range of measures and advice provided in the past two weeks gives us a clear, scientifically-based path to achieve these dual aims.

“The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has reiterated its advice on reinfection periods, testing and isolation, mask wearing, vaccine boosters and treatments and called on employers to allow work from home if feasible.”

More to come.

Originally published as National Covid crisis triggers urgent change in health advice