Playing it safe in a braver Covid-19 world

Christmas Day surrounded by family was enough to land Sydney couple Tiah Streltschenko and Alex Quinn into isolation.

Sydney couple Tiah Streltschenko and Alex Quinn, both 26, are free from isolation following Thursday’s changes to isolation requirements.

Christmas Day surrounded by family was enough to land Sydney couple Tiah Streltschenko and Alex Quinn into isolation.

Only after the festivities had died down did they discover that Ms Streltschenko’s mother and grandfather were both positive with Covid-19.

Up until Thursday afternoon, the 26-year-old pair based in Camden, southwest of Sydney, had planned for a New Year’s Eve with nowhere to go. But Scott Morrison’s announcement that the definition and isolation requirements of close contacts had changed meant the couple would be free on Friday pending a negative rapid antigen test.

“It feels great to be out,” Ms Streltschenko said. “It’s one of those things that after the year we’ve had, we were looking forward to a restriction-free Christmas and yew year.”

The new definition of “close contact” came into effect in five states and territories from midnight. It rules that only a ­person who is living with a confirmed Covid-19 case or sharing an accommodation setting for more than four hours with an ­infected person must isolate.

The change followed huge pressure on testing facilities over the festive period, which caused slews of people to wait hours in line to receive a PCR test.

Ms Streltschenko said that while she was happy to be able to go to the shop for essential groceries, she does not fully ­support the decision.

“I think that given what is going on with the queues for testing, specifically in our area of Campbelltown and Camden, the lines are ridiculous and cases are ballooning and you can see why they did it,” she said.

“A more responsible decision could have been made. I almost feel as though they are digging their heels in and there is no going back on decisions that have been made and are making the most out of a bad situation.”

Despite being free to party into the new year, their plans ­really haven’t changed as a result of the announcement. Many of their immediate friends were not so lucky and the couple are still cautious of exposing themselves to the virus and risking another round of isolation.

“About 90 per cent of our friends who we would have hung out with have Covid or are still in isolation,” she said. “Even though we are allowed out if we want to, there is no one to see.”

Instead, they are likely to host a Zoom party with friends and spend the night on their lounge.