NSW Premier stands by call to slash Covid isolation, saying some flu strains ‘worse’

The NSW Premier has urged residents to get their flu shot and Covid booster, while doubling down on his calls to slash the seven-day Covid isolation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared “now is not the time” to discuss slashing seven-day isolation rules as NSW calls for a reduction in the time spent locked indoors.

The NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is calling for debate on reducing the iso demands after the winter wave of cases has started tracking down.

Britain moved to scrap the iso mandates earlier in January and Australia reduced the isolation period from two weeks to seven days last year.

Speaking on 5AA radio, Mr Albanese confirmed the national cabinet meeting had discussed the idea of changing isolation periods, but that there were no plans to reduce the isolation orders for now.

“The advice that is there from the chief medical officer, Professor Kelly, was that now is certainly not the time for that to be considered,” he said.

“That’s something health officials will continue to look at. But given the increased spread of the Covid virus over recent times, which we’ll see continuing, it’s expected to peak over the coming weeks, now’s not the time to change the provisions that are there.”

Workplace Minister Tony Burke said it was a situation that was changing rapidly and the government would take advice on “the best information as it comes.”

“If you go back to when the pandemic started, every time everything was time limited and there’s a reason for that. This is something that is changing rapidly,” he said.

Mr Burke said now that the government had reinstated the $750 pandemic payment there was no excuse not to get tested.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces Australians will be able to access the $750 Covid isolation payments until September 30, 2022.Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

“I want the message to be clear to people – that you have no reason to not be tested. You will be looked after – if you have sick leave, you can access that, if you don’t, you will still be looked after here with the $750,” he said.

Earlier, Mr Perrottet doubled down on calls to slash the Covid seven-day isolation rule, revealing the health advice suggests some strains of the flu are “worse” than coronavirus.

Warning that Australia can expect more Covid waves “for years”, he’s called for discussion of shorter isolation periods once the latest winter surge recedes.

“Well, we need to look at it,” he told 2GB radio.

“And I raised that last week about having a look at reducing that period of time because Covid is not going away.”

Mr Perrottet confirmed he had raised the talking point of the seven-day isolation rules at the national cabinet meeting over the weekend.

The NSW Premier first raised the issue in an exclusive interview with news.com.au on Friday.

Whatever happens in the future, he said the states agreed a national approach was needed for isolation periods.

It’s estimated that more than 2700 NSW health workers are currently in Covid isolation as chronic understaffing leaves hospital emergency departments in crisis.

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The state’s hospitals are under enormous pressure as increased cases of the virus contribute to staff shortages. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

Mr Perrottet said we should expect more waves of Covid for a long time.

“And the advice we’ve received is that it will be here for another couple of years,’’ Mr Perrottet said.

“So in those circumstances, we need to look at isolation requirements in a way that puts downward pressure on a health system, because obviously in winter there’s a significant amount of people that go into our public hospitals.

“We need to be fair and reasonable about it.”

Mr Perrottet led calls for the Albanese Government to reinstate the $750 pandemic payment for casuals for as long as mandatory isolation rules stay in place.

“The reality is when the Government says to you, you can’t go to work and you can’t provide for your family, particularly for casual workers, for example, then I believe the Government has a role to provide you with that financial support,’’ he said.

Mr Perrottet also urged Australians to get their flu shot.

“In many cases at the moment, the current strand of influenza is more severe than the current strands of Covid,’’ he said.

Host Ben Fordham then interjected: “So is it the health advice at the moment that there are current strains of the flu that are more dangerous than the current strains of Covid?”

“Yeah. That’s what we’re saying. So the key points from our end: If you haven’t had a flu shot, go and get one because you know they work,’’ he said.

Mr Perrottet said he was now eligible for a fourth Covid shot, as the rules had changed to make anyone over 30 eligible, and planned to get his next booster soon.

The NSW Premier is urging everyone to get their flu shot, as well as those who are eligible to get their fourth dose of the Covid-19 booster. Picture: Supplied

He was also grilled on hospitalisation figures in NSW revealing the way the statistics were collated meant that anyone who had the virus in the last fortnight was counted as a Covid patient regardless of the reason they were admitted.

That means mothers giving birth to babies were counted as Covid patients if they recently contracted the virus, as well as, for example, children coming in to treat a broken leg.

“Well, that’s correct. And that’s how health records Covid numbers in hospitals,’’ Mr Perrottet said.

“That’s why when it comes to counting Covid cases, Covid hospitalisations, you know, we’ve got to be balanced in the way that we look at those numbers.”

In January, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrapped all coronavirus self-isolation rules as part of a “living with Covid” strategy.

The new rules meant that people in the UK who tested positive for the virus are no longer required to self-isolate for a minimum of five days.

“Covid will not suddenly disappear,” Boris Johnson told parliament at the time.

“So those who would wait for a total end to this war before lifting the remaining regulations would be restricting the liberties of the British people for a long time to come.”

In Australia currently, people are required to isolate for seven days after a positive test.