Infectious diseases doctor’s warning as premiers push to ditch isolation

COVID-19 isolation may soon be a thing of the past, with two Australian state premiers backing a push to scrap the five-day isolation rule.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff are leading a movement to convince other state leaders to ditch the mandatory isolation period when national cabinet meets today.

Infectious diseases physician, Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake, doesn’t think now is the time to ditch isolation periods, but he says it’ll need to happen eventually.

“The reality is as we learn to live with COVID, as it goes from being a pandemic to becoming endemic, we will do that,” he told Ross and Russel.

“Hospitalisations have just dropped below 2000 across the country, but any measure that’s likely to increase COVID cases and put a burden on the hospital system, we have to think twice about, because as you know, during winter our hospital system really did struggle.”

Press PLAY below to hear why Professor Senanyake doesn’t think it’s time to ditch the rule yet