NSW Health calls for return of mandatory masks, working from home

NSW Health is reportedly pushing for the return of mandatory masks and working from home amid a rise in cases of the new Omicron subvariant.

NSW Health has called for Covid-19 restrictions to be reintroduced due to mounting concerns about the new Omicron subvariant.

Health authorities want masks to be compulsory indoors, capacity limits to be brought back, a blanket ban on singing and dancing and a return to working from home, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

However, Health Minister Brad Hazzard was having none of it and quickly shut down the suggestion after NSW Health staff recommended restrictions be reintroduced in a presentation earlier this week, according to the newspaper.

Those restrictions were only just removed three weeks ago, on February 18.

On Friday, Mr Hazzard warned that the number of Covid-19 cases will increase in coming weeks, as will the rate of hospitalisations, because the BA. 2 omicron subvariant is known to spread faster than its original version.

The NSW government predicts it could become the state’s dominant strain with infections expected to double within four to six weeks. It comes at a time when immunity is waning in the NSW community.

Brad Hazzard was ‘not at all keen’ on bringing back restrictions. Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire

Acting chief health officer Marianne Gale said her team was looking into the new subvariant, which has already become dominant overseas.

It’s believed her employees made a slide-show presentation to Mr Hazzard about why restrictions were needed.

The Health Minister was adamant that restrictions would not return.

“As Health Minister I am not at all keen to be heading back the path that has exhausted everybody with all the restrictions,” Mr Hazzard said in a statement to the newspaper.

“All that would be a last resort from my perspective. We have had two rough, terrible years and the community has had restrictions up to the eyeballs. Bringing restrictions back in is the last possible course we want to go.”

A Covid-19 testing clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

On Thursday, Mr Hazzard said “apparent rise in cases” over the past few days was “concerning for us”.

He said it was important for everyone who is eligible to get a booster dose of a coronavirus vaccine.

“If everybody were boosted, I wouldn’t be as concerned,” Mr Hazzard said.

“So many people have become very relaxed and don’t seem to think Omicron still exists, don’t think the virus still exists. It does. And it’s out there and it’s doing his damnedest to get through the community.”

There are currently 998 Covid-19 cases admitted to hospital, including 39 people in intensive care, 15 of whom require ventilation.

On Friday, the state recorded 14,034 positive test results.

Only 56.3 per cent of people over 16 have received their third vaccine dose.

News.com.au has contacted NSW Health and Minister Hazzard’s office for comment.