Calls for change to Queensland’s ‘very impractical’ close contact rules

The rapidly developing Covid situation is expected to put thousands of Queenslanders in isolation, sparking calls for the state government to reconsider its “very impractical” close contact requirements.

Thousands of Queenslanders are expected to be in isolation in coming weeks as cases continue to rise, sparking calls for the state government to urgently review its stringent close contact requirements.

One health expert said the state’s Covid-19 response shouldn’t continue being managed like it was before the borders reopened as another 59 new cases were recorded on Monday.

More than 100 police are in isolation after coming into contact with a positive case, reportedly at a work Christmas party, while Queensland Health confirmed a patient at Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital appeared to have contracted the virus from a staff member who had been exposed at a graduation ceremony last week.

There are now 15 Omicron cases linked to the ceremony that was held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre last Monday – and more are expected.

While the tourism sector has called on the government to relax the 14 day requirement for vaccinated close contacts, the Funeral Directors Association is concerned there won’t be enough staff to conduct funerals in coming weeks.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk receiving her Covid-19 booster jab from registered nurse Liz Smith at the Southbank vaccination hub. Picture: Brad Fleet

Four employees were forced into isolation at the weekend after an unknowingly infectious person attended a funeral in Brisbane last week.

The staff were all vaccinated and wore masks during the service.

Asked about the quarantine rules on Monday morning, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk referred to the roadmap which states at 90 per cent double dose quarantine for vaccinated people will finish.

From January 1, vaccinated close contacts will need to quarantine for seven days while casual contacts will still need to get tested immediately and quarantine until a negative result is received.

Brett Lethbridge, December 21, 2021

However authorities for weeks have been unable to specify a date of when that will be, instead saying sometime in January.

Infectious diseases expert Paul Griffin said thousands of people would likely be isolating in coming weeks.

“We do know that each person does have a relatively large number of close contacts,” he said.

“It is becoming a very big number.”

Dr Griffin said it would become “very impractical” if the state government didn’t wind back its close contact requirements.

While saying it was a delicate balance, he said the government shouldn’t manage each of the new cases like it had before the borders reopened.

“It’s going to be very impractical moving forward as these numbers do increase,” he said.

But he said he believed New South Wales and Victoria’s measures were “being a bit too relaxed” with the situation having changed with Omicron.

Dr Griffin said reintroducing masks and density caps on venues would make sense.

Chief health officer John Gerrard said health authorities were “actively looking” at the quarantine and isolation processes each day.

University of NSW epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws said contacts who had potentially been exposed to Omicron should isolate for at least seven days but said 14 days was “highly precautious”.

Chief health officer John Gerrard. Picture: Brad Fleet

Prof McLaws was comfortable with a stringent approach to contagious variants for particularly close household contacts but implored authorities to adopt a more proactive approach to screening and use rapid antigen testing.

Prof McLaws said potential contacts should be tested with PCR and then provided with a rapid test kit to monitor themselves in the days following.

Most rapid tests are 98 per cent accurate, but she said when used in conjunction with the certainty of a PCR, the accuracy rises to 99.99 per cent.

“That’s what you’d be doing over Christmas to allow people to have a fairly decent time if they’re double vaccinated and they haven’t been found to be very close contacts at all, but just somewhere in the vicinity (of a known case),” she said.

People queue for Covid testing at 4Cyte Pathology, Mitchelton, Picture: Steve Pohlner

Queensland hit 89.8 per cent first dose on Monday with 84.7 per cent now fully vaccinated.

The Premier, who received her booster jab on Monday, said cases would grow but assured Queenslanders this was what the government had planned for.

“We know there is a balance to get right here in terms of people seeing their loved ones but also to managing the pressures on our hospital system,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk said she was happy with the number of people checking-in but strongly encouraged mask wearing in indoor settings.

“This is a new world for Queensland, this is a new phase for the pandemic that we’re entering but it’s one that reunites families, it’s one that still continues to have our economy open, but it also means that our family and loved ones are able to get together for Christmas and New Year,” she said.

No one is being treated in intensive care in Queensland.

Originally published as Calls for change to Queensland’s ‘very impractical’ close contact rules