ACT government responds to NSW idea calling for shortened COVID isolation period

The change to the required isolation period, which is currently seven days, has been floated by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet ahead of the next national cabinet meeting on August 31.

Mr Perrottet on Monday told reporters a cohesive national approach would be most beneficial.

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the government would "consider the advice of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee before making any decisions in the ACT".

"It would be our preference to align with other states and territories in this matter for national consistency, if possible," Ms Stephen-Smith said in a statement.

Most states and territories relaxed isolation requirements from 14 to seven days at the end of last year.

While transmission would likely increase if the changes were to come into effect, it would not be by a lot, and the socio-economic benefits would outweigh the risk, ANU medical school professor of infectious diseases Peter Collignon said.

"I think it, at this stage, would seem a reasonable risk to take," he said.

"There'll be some downsides but nowhere near the social and economic benefits to society and individuals, on the proviso that you are free of symptoms when you're moving out of your house."

Vaccination rates, hybrid immunity, social distancing measures such as avoiding crowded places, and ensuring people remain in isolation until they're "free of symptoms or relatively free of symptoms" will act to moderate risk, he said.

"If we want zero risk and zero COVID, well you should keep people isolated for 14 days and nobody's at all suggesting that's sensible at this point of time, which I wouldn't either."

ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman told budget estimates on Tuesday afternoon there was planning underway about how to manage COVID.

She said she believed there would be another wave associated with waning immunity.

"We are constantly doing ongoing planning moving forward, our current focus is on trying to balance the difference between acknowledging there's likely to be another wave, not knowing what that wave might be," Dr Coleman said.

"My feeling is ... we'll get a smaller wave probably associated with reducing immunity to our current Omicron but equally, it's just as likely we'll get an emergence of a new variant that's put another barrier in our pathway and we have to pivot yet again."

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Dr Coleman said there was a need to consider the role of PCR testing going forward.

"Testing is a little bit more complex at this point in time. We currently run mass testing clinics to provide PCR testing, I think the role of PCR testing will really need to change with time. It's actually a very expensive service," she said.

Meanwhile, authorities have revealed there is a waiting list for the long COVID clinic at the University of Canberra Hospital.

The service has already received 170 referrals.

There are 64 active patients at the clinic and 11 patients have been discharged from the service.

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