NSW Health Covid advice shifts amid fears infected people left isolation early

Premier Dominic Perrottet stepped in to address a wording bungle which potentially led to thousands of Covid cases leaving isolation early.

Premier Dominic Perrottet stepped in to address a wording bungle which potentially led to thousands of Covid cases leaving isolation early.

As revealed by The Daily Telegraph, NSW Health on Sunday cut a line from the health advice sent to positive cases, amid fears it was confusing recipients.

The advice sent via SMS to people who had tested positive to Covid, outlined their ­required isolation period, then stated: “You may leave isolation if you do not have a sore throat, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath”.

The last line was cut yesterday after concerns it was confusing we’re raised.

“We were notified of that yesterday, discussions I had with health minister Brad Hazzard and Doctor (Kerry) Chant…to clarify that position,” the Premier said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Kerry Chant on Sunday. Picture: David Swift

“There will always be issues that come up. And when they do come up what’s most important is that you address them, you rectify those issues, and ensure that there’s a better result and that’s exactly what happened yesterday,” the Premier said on Monday.

“But I’ll tell you as Premier of this state I will back in our health team every single day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

He said messaging would continue to change as the Omicron outbreak continued to spread.

“The messages have changed over the course of two years, or even more recently, we went from an isolation period of 14 days, and then an isolation period to seven days (and) that may change again in the future,” he said.

The new guidance, to be sent out from Monday, clearly outlines that anyone diagnosed with Covid must stay in isolation for seven days after they test positive.

“Please read the ‘Testing positive to Covid-19’ fact sheet for health advice if you have symptoms at Day 7. This SMS can be used as evidence to show your employer that you have had Covid-19 and that you can be released from self-isolation on [seven days after date of positive test],” the new advice states.

The change was made after epidemiologists pointed out the advice may have led to people breaking the law by leaving isolation while still infectious.

People diagnosed with Covid are required by law to isolate for seven days after returning a positive test. They can only leave isolation before seven days if explicitly told by NSW Health or a doctor.

University of Sydney infectious diseases expert Robert Booy said the earlier advice was easily misinterpreted.

“Intelligent people with university degrees are reading stuff like that saying they can come out of isolation because they have no symptoms,” Prof Booy said. “I know a lawyer who misinterpreted that.”

Sanjaya Senanayake from the Australian National University’s medical school agreed the message was confusing.

“If someone thinks that they haven’t got symptoms early into their illness, and they’re therefore free to leave isolation, they can still be infectious,” he said.

Chief health officer Kerry Chant on Sunday said people diagnosed with Covid could leave isolation after a week, if they “don’t have any symptoms at the end of the seven days”. They are then asked to avoid aged-care facilities or other “very high risk settings” for three more days.

Anyone who still has symptoms after seven days is asked to speak with their doctor ­before leaving isolation.

“NSW Health is continuously updating and improving our many Covid-19 communications materials,” a spokesman said.