NSW urges hotspot visitors to self-isolate for 14 days – even after negative test – plus AMA calls for national mask policy

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says thousands of NSW residents identified as close contacts of eight known hotspots must self-isolate for 14 days regardless of test results.

This shift in health advice came after clusters of the virus in Sydney and the state continued to grow, with 16 new cases of COVID-19 in NSW confirmed on Tuesday.

“Stay at home, and do not go to work or catch public transport,” a statement from NSW Health said. “Even if you get a negative test, stay in isolation for 14 days.”

This is a policy already being applied into aged care where staff are required to self-isolate for 14 days after close contact, even if they produce negative results.

Meanwhile, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has called for a nationwide mask policy.

While Victoria is the first state to make masks mandatory in its lockdown regions, the NSW Government is recommending people to wear masks whenever they cannot socially distance.

The AMA’s President, Dr Tony Bartone, says there needs to be a consistent approach be adopted nationally to all areas with untraceable cases of community transmission.

“The evidence is now really clear that if we do add another layer of protection in terms of wearing face masks, to the other measures of physical distancing, hand hygiene, cough etiquette, we will reduce the rate of COVID-19 spread in the community,” he told Channel 7 yesterday morning.

“We need to be vigilant about trying to reduce the spread.”