Australia's leaders could revisit cutting the isolation period for COVID-19 cases as the nation's latest Omicron wave winds down.
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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has flagged putting COVID-19 isolation back on the agenda when national cabinet next meets on August 31.
He previously raised shortening isolation from seven days to five, and wants Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as well as his state and territory colleagues to look at it again as spring approaches.
"Given where we are we should have a national approach ... that's more beneficial than states going their own way," Mr Perrottet said.
Most Australian states and territories relaxed isolation requirements from 14 to seven days at the end of last year as the first Omicron wave increasingly sidelined workers, constraining services, businesses and supply chains.
The United States now recommends a five-day isolation period for COVID-positive cases, while infected people in the United Kingdom are not legally obligated to self-isolate.
Just under 150,000 Australians are still classified as active cases across the country, down from 380,000 in late July, and subject to COVID-19 isolation orders.
University of South Australia epidemiologist Adrian Esterman said it is too early to shorten mandatory isolation.
"Two-thirds of people are still infectious after five days," he told AAP.
Mr Perrottet said Australia's pandemic response must evolve along with the virus, but support for workers should remain regardless of the isolation period.
Reducing the isolation period was raised at national cabinet last month but was not backed by Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly ahead of the BA.4/5 Omicron variant wave's expected peak.
However, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee was tasked with investigating the idea and providing a report to national cabinet via Professor Kelly.
"I'm not sure whether that'll be on the agenda," he told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday.
"That's being constantly reviewed by our public health experts and as soon as it's safe to do that - as soon as that wouldn't put additional pressure on our nurses and our ambos and our doctors - then that day will come."
Australia reported more than 15,000 new COVID-19 cases and 95 deaths on Tuesday, with the nation on track to record its 10 millionth infection within a week.
LATEST 24-HOUR COVID-19 DATA:
NSW: 5567 cases, 32 deaths, 1928 in hospital with 49 in ICU
Victoria: 3638 cases, 25 deaths, 433 in hospital with 26 in ICU
Queensland: 2782 cases, 26 deaths, 411 in hospital with 10 in ICU
WA: 1772 cases, two deaths, 243 in hospital with five in ICU
SA: 850 cases, 10 deaths, 242 in hospital with eight in ICU
Tasmania: 326 cases, no deaths, 55 in hospital with two in ICU
ACT: 258 cases, no deaths, 119 in hospital with two in ICU
NT: 145 cases, no deaths, 26 in hospital with none in ICU.
Australian Associated Press
