NSW Health Minister vows to go it alone and amend isolation rules even if other states won’t change

NSW may soon scrap a key set of Covid rules even if other states decide to keep them, the Health Minister has hinted.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard is prepared to go it alone and scrap restrictive Covid isolation rules if other states insist on keeping them.

Restaurants, cafes and retailers forced to close their doors by crippling labour shortages are begging the NSW government to axe the Covid isolation rules that are keeping healthy staff at home.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee is currently reviewing the rules nationally and NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard is understood to want them amended as soon as possible.

“Close contact isolation recommendations are under review by AHPPC and it would be preferable if all states and territories moved in unison on any changes,” Mr Hazzard said.
“However, if a unified approach can’t be achieved then NSW will at the very least make every attempt to move in unison with Victoria.”

Close contact isolation rules could soon be scrapped, providing relief for Sydney hospitality venues. Picture: Toby Zerna.

“NSW has already made some changes in relation to isolation arrangements in regards to particular industries and is keen to move forward as quickly as can be safely undertaken, albeit with health safeguards as a major focus,” he said.

Wes Lambert, chief executive of peak body Restaurants and Catering said: “At a time when NSW faces one of the worst workforce shortages in history we are keeping health staff locked up for a week at a time.”

Cropped shot of young Asian woman consulting to her family doctor online in a virtual appointment, holding a medical test tube, conducting Covid-19 diagnostic test at home credit: getty images escape 1 august 2021 doc holiday

The current rules force anyone living with someone who has Covid to isolate for seven days even if they return a negative test themselves. Mr Lambert estimates it puts at least 20 per cent of the NSW restaurant and catering industry’s 130,000 staff out of action every week.

The rules were ditched for aviation workers last week as chronic absenteeism contributed to massive delays at Sydney airport.

“We are supposed to be living with Covid but it seems these rules are just going to go on in perpetuity,” Mr Lambert said.

“Meanwhile restaurants and cafes are having to close their doors because of a lack of staff.”

Restaurant & Catering Industry Association CEO Wes Lambert. Picture: Supplied.

The organisation has launched a petition urging the government to scrap the rules and comes after an Australian Retailers Association poll found eight of 10 of its members also wanted the rules scrapped.

ARA chief executive Paul Zahra said: “We’re one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, and into the third year of this pandemic, yet we’re continuing to let this virus control our lives with overzealous Covid rules and restrictions which are out of step with many global economies.”

The poll of retailers found almost half reporting that staff shortages had become worse in the last month.

“Close contacts isolation rules are past their use by date. It doesn’t make sense to force healthy people to stay at home when they show no symptoms of Covid and test negative. Keep the sick and Covid-positive people at home, but the healthy should be free to go about their lives. With staff shortages getting worse, we need to see these rules scrapped immediately,” Mr Zahra said.