COVID-19 isolation period to stay seven days for aged care sector

A meeting of the National Cabinet, a forum for the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers, has agreed to reduce the mandated COVID-19 isolation period from seven to five days.

However, the decision will not apply to aged care and home care workers.

“Seven days isolation will remain for workers in high-risk setting including aged care, disability care, home care is important as well,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said yesterday afternoon.

The changes will come into place on Friday, 9 September.

The wave of Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 has subsided in residential aged care homes to the extent that less than 800 staff have COVID-19.

The 784 workers with COVID-19 is the lowest since 636 staff had the virus on 10 March 2022. Surge workers filled 1,996 shifts in the seven days to 26 August, compared to 2,689 shifts in the seven days to 12 August. 

The Department of Health and Aged Care said there has been a decrease of 132 outbreaks of COVID in aged care homes. 466 facilities were hit by COVID outbreaks on 26 August.

There were another 77 residents who died of the virus to 26 August. From 1 January to 26 August, COVID is recorded as the cause of death in 7.3% of all deaths in permanent residents in aged care facilities.

81.2% of aged care residents have received a fourth dose of COVID vaccine, which is a far higher level than the rest of the community.