Doctors criticise Australia over plan to end home quarantine for Covid-19 patients
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the country will scrap the mandatory five-day home isolation for confirmed cases from October 14
- Health experts warned the ‘illogical’ decision would put the public at risk
The decision to let Covid-infected Australians decide whether they need to isolate or not removes one of country’s last remaining restrictions from the pandemic era, and comes about a month after the quarantine period was cut to five days from seven.
“We want a policy that promotes resilience and capacity-building and reduces a reliance on government intervention,” Albanese told reporters after a meeting of the national cabinet.
The pandemic leave payments for casual workers will also stop when isolation rules end, as Albanese said “it isn’t sustainable for government to pay people’s wages forever.”
A champion of Covid-suppression strategy, Australia shifted away from its fortress-style controls and began living with the virus from early this year through a staggered easing of curbs amid higher vaccination rates.