The Government is considering advice around isolation length and is expected to reveal that advice and any decisions made in the next 24-48 hours, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said on Tuesday.
Director of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield told media last week his team are looking at the 10 day period of isolation for both cases and household contacts "to see if that might be able to be reduced".
He is providing the advice over the next two days.
When asked if that would be a reduction to seven days, Bloomfield said, "it could be... whatever the period of isolation, you’re taking a slightly increased risk that someone might still be infectious at the end of their infection period".
"With the situation we’ve got with so many cases and also we’re seeing quite a big impact on critical services, that trade off is there to be made so I’ve asked the team to again look at just where the balance of risks and benefits is at the moment."
Hipkins said they had not made decisions yet.
Middlemore Hospital was reporting 15-20 per cent of their staff were not at work due last week to either having Covid, being a household contact or looking after a case.
Since then, hospitalisations due to Covid have increased almost by 400 across the country, with 757 in hospital with the virus on Tuesday.
ACT welcomes possible move
ACT's David Seymour said potential changes to "unworkable isolation rules" was welcome, but late.
“We call on the Government to follow either the CDC’s advice for Americans, being a five day isolation period, or the Singaporean model, 72 hours isolation and out with a negative test," he said.
“In fact, ACT has been calling for changes to the Government’s unworkable isolation rules since January. People can’t afford 10 days so they’ll do anything to avoid isolating. As we predicted, we’ve seen QR code scanning plummet, testing rates low, and streets empty."
Health workers could already return to work as a household contact under strict conditions, however Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay confirmed critical health workers could also return to work if they have Covid.
She said that cases can go back to work if they were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms if they are either working in a ward of Covid patients with no stand down period, or after six days if they have produced two negative RAT tests.
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