‘Avoid PCR tests’: Australia’s new winter Covid and flu strategy

Healthy Aussies with coronavirus symptoms will be urged to self-isolate and avoid taking PCR tests, under national cabinet’s new Covid-19-influenza strategy.

Healthy Australians with coronavirus symptoms will be urged to voluntarily self-isolate and avoid taking PCR tests, after the national cabinet endorsed a new Covid-19 and influenza winter strategy.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee will also provide urgent advice to the national cabinet, which met on Friday, on moving away from quarantine requirements for all close contacts and helping the country to the final stage of the national reopening plan.

With the NSW and Victorian governments flagging spikes in Covid-19 cases, linked with the highly transmissible Omicron sub-variant, national cabinet leaders supported the $2.1bn federal government-backed winter preparedness response.

The commonwealth package will extend access to free rapid antigen tests for concession card holders until July 31, provide $1.2bn to protect the residential aged care and disability care sectors, and inject $571m into the vaccine rollout.

The national cabinet also agreed to a nationally consistent plan to address the Japanese encephalitis virus, which has been detected in pig farms in NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

They can be uncomfortable – and now they seem to be on their way out. National cabinet’s new policy urges those with coronavirus symptoms to avoid PCR tests. Picture: AFP

Health Minister Greg Hunt said almost two-thirds of eligible Australians have had booster shots but urged those who had Omicron over the summer to get their third jab.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has been tasked with providing advice on fourth Covid-19 jabs ahead of winter.

“It’s more likely than not that there will be a booster recommended for those above a certain age; 65 is the most likely age,” Mr Hunt said.

“We’re expecting that advice from ATAGI within the next three weeks, if not earlier. They’ve been doing deep research on immunity, on waning and on the situation around the world.

“The most likely direction … is they are potentially going to recommend a second booster, which would then be potentially the start of an annual program for people 65 and above.”

Mr Hunt said it was likely that the highest peak in Omicron cases had occurred in January but there “will be a bounce as it goes into winter”.

“The specific timing on that is obviously not determined,” he said.

“It will depend on the variants, but that’s why we’re preparing.”

Deputy chief medical officer Sonya Bennett, who warned the Omicron sub-variant BA2 was more transmissible than its predecessor, said health officials were preparing for a spike in influenza cases as more international visitors arrived.