“Where is the health advice?” AMA asks National Cabinet

The AMA is calling on governments to release any health advice that led to the National Cabinet decision to reduce the COVID-positive isolation period from seven to five days.

The AMA has called for the release of medical and health advice that guided this week’s National Cabinet decision to reduce the COVID isolation period to five days, and cautioned extra vigilance would be required from governments and the community to prevent infection from COVID-19.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said the health advice needed to be made public as the decision will mean many people re-entering the community after five days’ isolation will potentially still be infectious and pass the virus on.

“Throughout this pandemic the AMA has continuously said governments must base their decision-making on the health and medical advice and we need to see that advice and whether it supports today’s decision.  If it doesn’t, the politicians need to explain themselves,” Professor Robson said.

Professor Robson has been in the national media this week before and following the National Cabinet meeting. He told SBS News ahead of the National Cabinet meeting “I think it’s a major mistake to treat COVID as ‘just another illness’. As many as a third of people who come out of isolation on day five still could potentially transmit the virus to other people.”

Professor Robson spoke to ABC AM Radio after the decision to warn that the health sector would need to be monitored closely for any fallout from the decision.

“We'll be watching very closely at how this plays out in terms of pressure on hospitals and workplace attendants and will be calling on the government to look to revise that if we find that things are getting worse,” he said.

Professor Robson told Sky News that the health workforce could be very badly impacted by this.

“Doctors around the country have been puzzled by the decision. We haven't been able to see the health advice that was put to the government, so we're still calling for that to be released for people… The potential problem is that people will be returning to the workforce who can still give COVID to their colleagues and that will cause further pressure particularly on vulnerable workforces like the health workforce so this needs very, very careful monitoring from this point forward”.

At a doorstop media appearance at Parliament House Professor Robson again called on National Cabinet to release its health advice.

“We're puzzled they won't release the health advice underpinning that. At the moment, we're calling for that to be released so the politicians can justify to the public why they're making this decision if it is different to the advice that they're receiving from their health teams around the country.”