‘Gear change’: Close contact definition changes and more rapid antigen tests amid Omicron surge

Only people living with confirmed coronavirus cases will be considered close contacts as the country goes through a “gear change” to deal with the surging Omicron outbreaks across most states and territories.

National cabinet will also urgently discuss coronavirus testing requirements on Thursday as Australia moves away from its reliance on PCR tests towards widespread rapid antigen test use - but the responsibility for purchasing the tests will remain with state governments.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison holds a press conference at Kirribilli House on Wednesday.Credit: Cole Bennetts

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said it was important to adjust the country’s approach to the pandemic as Omicron takes hold.

“We’re going through a gear change when it comes to how we manage testing arrangements, the definition of close contacts, how we furlough staff and isolate people who are impacted by cases,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“It’s important that we continue to adjust and get as consistent an approach as we possibly can across all the states and territories.“

National cabinet will also discuss adopting a national definition of close contacts, which the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has recommended be narrowed to only include household contacts of positive cases.

“What’s important with this definition is to try and understand that you’re dealing with a high volume of cases, and we just can’t have everybody just being taken out of circulation because they just happen to be at a particular place at a particular time,” Mr Morrison said.

So far on Wednesday, 18,171 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed around the country. The figure does not include cases from Western Australia or the Northern Territory.

The Prime Minister said that, while cases were rising, hospitalisation rates remained low – across the country, 1314 people are in hospital, 126 in ICU and 55 on ventilators.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said Omicron was proving to be milder – between 15 per cent and 80 per cent less severe than Delta – but the large number of cases was putting pressure on PCR testing. The country’s chief health officers are discussing in a Wednesday afternoon meeting the best way to reserve those tests going forward.

South Australian Premier Stephen Marshall said the state could not continue pre-departure tests for interstate travellers, after the state recorded 1471 cases on Wednesday.

He said Thursday’s national cabinet meeting will have a big update on testing and how it will be used in the country into next year.

“We will be looking to adopt nationally consistent test, trace, isolate and quarantine protocols right across the country. There is still some disparity which is causing confusion, and as we move through various stages of this new Omicron variant, we do need to move towards standardisation as much as possible,” he said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he spoke to Mr Morrison on Wednesday morning.

“I certainly believe it would be best to have a national approach and I certainly look forward to having those discussions as we move through the meeting tomorrow,” he told reporters.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is on leave but will attend Thursday’s national cabinet meeting. He also had a phone call with Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday morning ahead of the meeting.

States have been struggling to secure supplies of rapid antigen tests and have to compete in a tight global market as the federal government refuses to buy kits for widespread use despite public health experts saying they are vital in fighting the pandemic.

NSW has secured 20 million rapid antigen tests, and Victoria announced on Wednesday morning it had bought 34 million of the kits. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told this masthead sourcing the tests had been a challenge.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said the federal government had failed to take leadership when it came to rapid antigen tests and left Australians “dangerously exposed”.

“Yet again, we’ve seen state governments having to fill a vacuum left by Scott Morrison, who has gone missing in the fight against this critical fourth wave,” he said.

“State and territory governments have stepped up in the absence of Commonwealth leadership. But when we talk about purchasing of rapid antigen tests from overseas, it clearly is a federal government responsibility.”

With Sarah McPhee

The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.