National cabinet: Quarantine to ease for close contacts

States and territories have agreed to move towards the removal of quarantine arrangements for fully vaccinated close contacts as the nation transitions to living with Covid-19.

Scott Morrison in Sydney on Friday. Picture: Jeremy Piper

States and territories have agreed to move towards the removal of quarantine arrangements for fully vaccinated close contacts as the nation transitions to living with Covid-19.

National cabinet, meeting for the first time in over a month, agreed on Friday to consider ­introducing “no quarantine or minimal quarantine for up to seven days” for fully vaccinated primary contacts.

Casual contacts would be ­required “only to seek testing and isolate if experiencing symptoms, and avoid high-risk settings until a negative result”. However, unvaccinated close contacts would still be required to quarantine for the two full weeks.

An agreement was reached for a nationally consistent framework for the use of rapid antigen testing.

Final updated modelling from the Doherty Institute also proposed shorter periods of quarantine of less than 14 days for the fully vaccinated who test positive for Covid-19.

The report, from professor Jodie McVernon, found that, following the achievement of a ­national 80 per cent vaccination rate, cases arising from international arrivals would be more easily manageable.

It confirmed the soundness of the four-step national plan and the 70 and 80 per cent vaccination thresholds which trigger the easing of restrictions. However, specific health strategies would be needed to address high case numbers among certain at-risk groups in key locations, including for ­Indigenous communities and schools.

Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders discussed the rollout of the booster program for Australians aged over 18 who have received two doses, with 150,000 third doses already ­administered.

Briefings were provided from chief medical officer Paul Kelly and Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy, with boosters to be prioritised for immunocompromised Australians and high priority groups.

Lieutenant General John Frewen also provided a briefing on how the vaccine rollout was progressing for Indigenous Australians and plans to improve uptake. The national cabinet agreed there were risks of Covid-19 outbreaks in Indigenous communities arising from the easing of restrictions, especially in regional and remote communities. All leaders agreed to update their outbreak plans in consultation with Indigenous authorities ­before returning in December.

The states and territories agreed their health systems had the capacity to make the transition to living with Covid-19, ­although WA Premier Mark McGowan has delayed lifting his hard border until February.