The isolation period for COVID-19 cases and their household contacts will be reduced from 10 to seven days, from 11.59pm, Friday 11 March.
Key summary:
- Isolation period will be 7 days (down from 10 days) for confirmed cases and household contacts.
- Household contacts need to test on Day 3 and 7, or when symptomatic.
- A household contact that tests positive while in isolation is required to isolate for an additional 7 days from that point.
- A person who has recovered from Covid will no longer need to self-isolate if they become a household contact within 90 days after having the virus.
Additional detail:
While the country has large numbers of people self-isolating, the Government says that this move is finding a balance between effectively controlling the outbreak and the flow-on effect for business and essential goods and services.
The most up to date public health advice is that there is a decline in infectiousness of Omicron over time, and that in most cases transmission occurs within seven days.
Household contacts will need to have a rapid antigen test at day 3 and day 7 of their isolation period. If they become symptomatic they should also get a test, and if the result is positive, they are required to isolate for seven days from that point.
If a person is isolating and still has symptoms after seven days, they are advised to stay home until 24 hours after symptoms resolve.
Results of rapid antigen tests must be reported on My Covid Record, even if it is negative, to help track transmission within households and how the outbreak is spreading through communities.
The reduction in the isolation period follows similar changes overseas and increasing evidence that people are most likely to transmit the virus earlier in their infectious period. This evidence also shows that the risk of reinfection within the first three months after someone has Omicron is very low. For this reason recovered cases will no longer need to self-isolate if they become a household contact within 90 days after having the virus. This is an increase from the current 28 days.