NSW AMA president Michael Bonning slams Covid-19 rule change

One of Australia’s top doctors has issued a grim warning about a major change to Covid-19 rules, saying it’s going to be a “problem”.

The nation’s top doctors have warned that a change to isolation rules could result in another “out of control” outbreak that will put pressure on the nation’s health systems,

Following Wednesday’s national cabinet meeting, it was announced that the mandatory isolation period for positive Covid cases would be reduced from seven to five days.

“We’ll get out of control,” NSW Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Michael Bonning told Sunrise on Friday.

Dr Bonning said changing the isolation rules would likely increase cases and the speed at which the virus spread throughout the community.

NSW AMA president Michael Bonning fears the virus will be ‘out of control’. Picture Sunrise

“What we see with health advice is people at day five are highly likely to still be infectious,” Dr Bonning said.

“Probably 30 per cent of people are infectious on day six and seven.

“If that means visiting grandma in a nursing home or means going to work and affecting other people, that is actually likely to be a problem for workplaces.”

However, Dr Bonning said it was unlikely that an outbreak would reach the same level as the one in NSW in January this year, as higher vaccination and infection rates would supply a level of protection.

Anthony Albanese reaffirmed that the decision was made jointly with each state’s chief health officer’s advice. Picture: Sunrise

The AMA has called on Anthony Albanese to release health advice supporting his decision to shorten the Covid-19 isolation period.

“We are in a situation where the advice is bending to the will of politics at this point in time,” Dr Bonning said.

The Prime Minister appeared later on the program and defended his decision, saying all of the state and territory chief health officers came to a “common position” on the matter.

He clarified that the isolation change only applied to people who no longer had symptoms after five days.

Workers in high-risk settings must still isolate for seven days.

AMA president Professor Steve Robson said the decision could bring ‘enormous potential ramifications’. Picture: Supplied

“When people are sick, if they have any symptoms, then they shouldn't be at work,” Mr Albanese said.

AMA president Steve Robson was highly critical of the move on Thursday, calling for Mr Albanese to release the health advice.

“We’re puzzled they won’t release the health advice underpinning that … we’re calling for that to be released so the politicians can justify to the public why they’re making this decision,” Professor Robson said.

He said the shortened timeframe would have “enormous potential ramifications” for Australia’s healthcare system.

“We’re seeing huge effects on the workforce from long Covid at the moment, so it’s very different to other infectious diseases and it needs to be treated differently,” he said.

But Mr Albanese called reducing the isolation period a “proportionate response” at this point in the pandemic.

“Clearly, if you have symptoms, we want people to stay home. We want people to act responsibly,” Mr Albanese said on Wednesday.