Kerry Chant to take ‘well-deserved break’ when NSW scraps restrictions

Kerry Chant will take her first extended break in two years when NSW scraps the last of its Covid-19 restrictions.

Kerry Chant will take her first extended break in two years when NSW scraps the last of its Covid-19 restrictions at the end of this month.

The state’s chief health officer has been lauded for steadily guiding the ship – and her state – through the pandemic since March 2020. Dr Chant will depart for three weeks’ annual leave on February 28 – her longest break since the pandemic began, after taking just two days last year.

“Like her colleagues in NSW Health, Dr Chant has worked extremely hard during the past two years of the Covid-19 pandemic and is looking forward to spending some time with her family during this planned leave,” a NSW Health spokesman told news.com.au.

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NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant will take a “well-deserved” break from February 28. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Adam Yip

Health Minister Brad Hazzard told The Sydney Morning Herald his colleague has “worked flat-out for over two years on the pandemic as well as enormous work before that in public health”.

“She works 18 to 20-hour days, seven days a week. Any leave she wants, she should get, and we should double it. It is a long-awaited and extremely well-deserved break,” he added.

Deputy chief health officer Marianne Gale will step into Dr Chant’s shoes while she’s on leave, ushering in the end of most restrictions in NSW.

From March 1, masks will no longer be required indoors – including in the office and advice that people should work from home if they can will be lifted.

Residents can also expect changes to the state’s QR code mandate, density limits and the return of elective surgery. Non-urgent operations are expected to return to 75 per cent of pre-pandemic capacity at Sydney’s metropolitan hospitals early next month.

From March 1, masks will no longer be required indoors – including in the office. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

Residents can also expect changes to the state’s QR code mandate and density limits. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Swift

“We are moving quickly to get elective surgery up to speed. By the first or second week in March public hospitals should be back to at least 75 per cent capacity, so it’s looking very positive,” Mr Hazzard told The Herald.

“But the caveat is that all we would need is a flip-up in the numbers or an increased number of people in ICU and that could be reversed.”

All category 2 and 3 surgeries were suspended in early January to counter unprecedented staff shortages at hospitals and an influx of coronavirus patients.

Around 1900 healthcare workers are off work due to Covid-19 isolation, a significant decrease from more than 6000 in isolation in January.

NSW public hospital nurses participate in a strike over staff shortages and pandemic-related stresses and strains in Sydney. Picture: Steven Saphore/AFP

Thousands of nurses walked off the job and marched on the NSW parliament on Tuesday morning to protest what they say is a staffing crisis in the health system.

Chants of “shame” were heard as nurses and midwives in scrubs – some of whom banged on pots and carried bullhorns and signs – brought Macquarie Street traffic to a standstill for about an hour.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association president O’Bray Smith addressed the crowd, saying “crisis talks” with Health Minister Brad Hazzard the day before had failed.

“What did they offer us? Nothing,” she told the crowd.

“Yesterday we sat in front of the Minister and the Ministry of Health and we were mansplained about life in health.

“Let me tell you – I will not be lectured about safe staffing by these men.”

The union demanded the government commit to fixed nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals.