Hi team. As you are probably aware, from 11:59 pm today Friday 11 March isolation requirements for positive cases of COVID-19 and their household contacts will be reduced from 10 to seven days. PLEASE NOTE: From 11.59 pm Friday 11 March, all cases and household contacts who are currently isolating can end their period of isolation after Day 7. Those currently in isolation will not have to complete their Days 8, 9, and 10 of isolation. Please see the information below for changes that will be in effect from Saturday 12 March.

Positive Cases of COVID-19

Anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate for seven days.

Day 0 is the day symptoms began or the day the test was taken (whichever came first). Cases will isolate for a full seven days and are free to return to normal activities on Day 8 if they are not symptomatic.

Household Contacts

Household contacts are required to isolate for the same seven days as the case.

They can return to their normal activities on the same day as the first case in their household, so long as all test results have been negative, and they are not symptomatic.

Household contacts should continue to self-monitor for symptoms up to Day 10.

Household contacts will be required to take a self-administered rapid antigen test (RAT) on Day 3 and Day 7 of the case’s isolation period.

If symptoms develop at any time during isolation:

• the usual advice remains in place to undertake an additional RAT
• if the test is negative and symptoms persist or worsen, test again 48 hours after that negative test
• if symptoms resolve there is no need for a further test until the required Day 7 test. If this is negative, they can return to daily life on Day 8.

If a household contact has new symptoms on the day of release:

• they should undertake an additional RAT and stay at home while unwell
• if that test is negative and symptoms persist or worsen, test again after 48 hours. If symptoms resolve, there is no need for a further test.

If a household contact has finished their period of isolation they do not need to return to isolation if a new case is identified in their household. However, this only applies for a period of seven days following their leaving isolation.

Should a new household member be confirmed as a case eight or more days after the household contact has left isolation, then they must start a new period of self-isolation for seven days.

Returning to school after COVID-19

Students who test positive for COVID-19 are not required to self-isolate past seven days, but they shouldn’t return to school if they are still feeling unwell.

Many children will have long-lasting runny noses and coughs after viral infections. If it is over 10 days since the onset of the COVID infection and they are no longer feeling unwell, they are unlikely to be transmitting any active COVID infection and can return to school. However, if they are continuing to feel unwell or their symptoms are worsening after 10 days then a GP review is recommended.