Anthony Albanese says now is not the time to slash Covid isolation period

Anthony Albanese has slapped down a call to slash the Covid-19 isolation period, insisting now is not the time for change.

Anthony Albanese has not ruled out a change to the Covid isolation period but insisted now is not the right time.

The Prime Minister has been under pressure to slash the isolation time frame from seven to five days after a high-profile intervention from NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.

But speaking to 5AA radio on Monday, Mr Albanese said the experts didn’t back Mr Perrottet’s call at this stage.

“The advice that is there from the chief medical officer … was that now is certainly not the time for that to be reconsidered,” he told 5AA radio.

The Prime Minister has not ruled out a future change to the isolation period. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

“That’s something that health officials will continue to look at.

“But given the increased spread of the Covid virus in over recent times … expected to peak over the coming weeks, now it’s not the time to change those provisions which are there.”

The US was the first to slash the quarantine period to five days last year and was soon followed by the UK in January in a bid to ease staff shortages.

Speaking to 2GB earlier, Mr Perrottet urged the federal government to consider a similar policy, given the current strain of influenza was “more severe” than Covid.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet wants to change the isolation period. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“As we move through the next phase of the pandemic we need to balance up the competing health issues,” Mr Perrottet said.

“At the moment, the current strand of influenza is more severe than the current strands of Covid.”

He later clarified he didn’t want to see an “immediate” change to the isolation rules, but that it should be looked at when winter ends.

“We see around the world, there are lesser isolation periods in place, and we should consider all of that,” Mr Perrottet told reporters.

“Ultimately, in the winter months, that creates a greater challenge, but that’s why Covid policies shouldn’t be set and forget.

“You shouldn’t just have a policy in place for an indefinite period of time.”

Last week, the Health Minister warned that millions of Australians were likely to catch the virus over the coming six weeks.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said changing isolation periods right now would only make it “harder and harder” for healthcare workers.

But he flagged he would like to see isolation time frames reduced in the future.

“We will get to that point at some stage in the future, where we don’t have to isolate, but in the middle of winter, that’s not the right thing to do right now,” Mr Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

He said the Victorian health department had not modelled the potential effect of reducing quarantine periods on case numbers.

Mr Albanese also defended a decision to backflip on paid pandemic leave. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Meanwhile, Mr Albanese defended his government’s decision to reinstate the $750 paid pandemic leave payment, doubling down that its previously planned end date was “inherited” from the Morrison government.

“When we received advice from the chief medical officer and other health officials … we acted very quickly to convene a meeting of the national cabinet,” he said.

“I’m pleased that all of the premiers and chief ministers agreed with the proposal to reinstate it, limited until the 30th of September.”