Friday 30 September 2022 04:11 AM Paul Kelly addresses question about how long Australian Covid patients should ... trends now

Australia's top doctor says those struck down with Covid-19 still shouldn't go to work while they have symptoms, despite the axing of mandatory isolation rules nationwide.

The country's National Cabinet met on Friday where premiers, chief ministers and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese agreed to scrap mandatory Covid-19 isolation rules from October 14. 

Isolation rules will remain for aged care and hospital workers struck down with Covid, but the decision of how long to stay away from the workplace will now be one for most Australians to decide for themselves. 

During a press conference, Seven News reporter Mark Riley pointed out that scrapping the isolation rules gave Australians no clarity on how long they needed to stay away from work.

'How do they stay away for now - five days, seven days, three days, one day?' he asked.

Paul Kelly, the Chief Medical Officer, said workplaces shouldn't treat Covid-19 any different than they have in the last two-and-half years. 

Professor Kelly pointed to a letter he wrote to Mr Albanese where he said he strongly encouraged Australians with 'respiratory illness, and particularly people with confirmed Covid, to stay at home and particularly to avoid high risk settings whilst they are symptomatic.' 

He told reporters in Canberra: 'We haven't changed the infectiousness of this virus. The infectious period, we know, the average is two to three days is the peak infectiousness.

'Again, it would be, if anyone has symptoms, they're more likely be infectious.'

However, Dr Kelly said the government would not be stopping infectious people from 'going out into (the) community now. And we won't be in the future.' 

'In terms of the occupational elements, in those particularly high-risk settings, that will remain a discussion with employers.

'Work health and safety elements apply for all sorts of infectious diseases, Covid should be seen like that.'

Australia is the latest country to join ranks with other nations around the world that have ditched Covid isolation measures, including the UK and Switzerland.

'We want to have measures that are proportionate and targeted,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Pandemic disaster leave payments will also be scrapped on the same date with the exception of people in 'high risk settings'.