COVID-19 isolation requirements for COVID-19 household contacts will be scrapped in the ACT from tonight.
The changes come into full effect at 11:59pm Tuesday 26 April but only apply to those not displaying any symptoms.
However, households contacts will also need to comply with a series of requirements while moving around the community for the seven days after their living partner tests positive to the virus:
- Advise ACT Health that they are a household contact by completing an COVID-19 online declaration form.
- Wear a face mask in all indoor spaces when outside of the home, if aged 12 years and over.
- Work or study from home, where it is practical to do so, and where it suits the employer and employee.
- Notify their employer and/or educational facility that they are a household contact. This will assist employers and educational facilities to determine whether the household contact can work or study from home or can attend the facility following an assessment of risks in accordance with work health and safety obligations.
- If it is not practical to work or study from home, and there is mutual agreement to attend work or study, individuals must undertake COVID-19 testing and return a negative result in the 24 hours prior to returning to work or study and then every 48 hours if ongoing attendance is required.
- If needing to attend a gathering that is unavoidable they must have returned a negative COVID‑19 test result in the 24 hours prior to attending.
- Do not enter a high-risk setting such as aged care or hospital unless they reside there or need care (noting that high-risk settings can consider granting exemptions from this requirement).
Household contacts will also be expected to practice COVID Smart behaviours and avoid, as far as possible, attending crowded places, spending prolonged periods in indoor spaces with others and interacting with people who are at higher risk of severe illness.
People who test positive will need to continue quarantining at home for seven days.
ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the changes made align with those in NSW and Victoria where possible, while still accounting for local conditions in the ACT.
“The ACT Government recognises that we need to balance the additional risks of COVID transmission if household contacts are not quarantining with the impact of quarantine on workplaces, individuals and families.”
“These changes to quarantine requirements will provide relief to many workplaces and businesses that have been under pressure due to workforce shortages.”
Listen to the latest news below:
