Anthony Albanese speaks after national cabinet meeting

Australia’s mandated isolation period will be reduced from seven days to five after the national cabinet reached consensus on the changes.

Australia’s mandated Covid isolation period will be reduced from seven days to 5 after the national cabinet reached consensus on the changes.

The decision will not apply to “vulnerable settings” which means, for example, that aged care workers may need to stay home for 7 days.

“The National Cabinet agreed the isolation periods for COVID-19 positive cases would be reduced from seven to five following a positive test, with the following caveats,‘’ Mr Albanese said.

“This would apply to people with no symptoms. Clearly, if you have symptoms, we want people to stay home.

“We want people to act responsibly. Seven days isolation will remain for workers in high-risk settings including aged care, disability care, home care is important as well.

“I believe, and first ministers agreed, that on the evidence, this was a proportionate response at this point in the pandemic.”

The changes will come into force on September 9.

But the $750 weekly pandemic payment will be reduced to reflect the fact it now only covers five days.

“With the paid pandemic leave disaster payment eligibility to reflect the changed isolation period effective from the same date,‘’ Mr Albanese said.

“Services Australia will provide advice in 48 hours. They‘ll work through by the end of Friday.”:

National Cabinet also agreed to remove the mandatory wearing of masks on domestic flights.

Australia’s mandated Covid isolation period will be reduced from seven days to 5 after the national cabinet reached consensus on the changes.

“This change will also come into effect from Friday September 9,‘’ Mr Albanese said.

It came after Victorian Premier Dan Andrews ruled out any push to completely scrap isolation rules when workers catch Covid but left the door open to reduce the time to 5 days.

Speaking in Melbourne ahead of today’s national cabinet meeting, Mr Andrews flatly rejected a push to completely scrap iso rules as is the case in the United Kingdom.

“I don’t have advice that would be the right thing to do at all,’’ he said.

Mr Andrews said state premiers had requested health advice based on case numbers dropping and summer approaching.

Speaking in Canberra, Treasurer Jim Chalmers warned $750 pandemic payments that were extended to September for people who do not have sick leave could not continue “forever.”

His comments come after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet indicated

The push has been spurred on in recent days by New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet.

“We have to get to a point where if you are sick you stay at home and if you are not sick, you can go to work,” he told reporters on Monday.

The Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews and Premier of New South Wales, Dominic Perrottet both seem open to scaling back the mandatory Covid-19 isolation period. Picture: David Crosling.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews was slightly more cautious than Mr Perrottet but said he was open to “fresh” health advice.

“The time is right for us to get fresh advice,” Mr Andrews said.

“No one enjoys isolation, no one wants rules on any longer than they need them to be.”

The calls have been backed by some in the health sector.

“We need to have that discussion this week,” Health Services Union national president Gerard Hayes told News Corp.

“There’s huge pressure on the health workforce, the aged care workforce as we’re also seeing in many other workforces.”

Mr Hayes said 2,500 health workers were furloughed daily nationwide and it was time to take “personal responsibility”.

Health Services Union national president Gerard Hayes. Picture: Gaye Gerard

“Personal responsibility is important and living with Covid is something we’ve got to get used to,” he said.

Mr Hayes said a commonsense approach of isolating when you’re symptomatic was still needed.

“Most of us have all had Covid now and the symptoms could be two to three days,” he said.

“Hopefully the national cabinet will be looking at these measures.”

Mask mandates and updated vaccination advice are also expected to be up for discussion.

In late July, the Therapeutic Goods Administration approved the Moderna vaccine for targeting the Omicron variant.