Changes to Quarantine Requirements in the ACT

In a media release issued on the 21st of April, ACT Health Minister, Rachel Stephen-Smith announced that the ACT Government will ease quarantine restrictions for household contacts from 11.59 pm on Tuesday 26 April. Household contacts who do not have any COVID-19 symptoms will no longer be required to isolate for seven days. 

They will, however, be required to comply with risk-mitigation measures and minimise their movement in the community including avoiding crowded places, spending prolonged periods in indoor spaces with others and interacting with people who are at higher risk of severe illness. 

For seven days from the time the first person in their household tested positive for COVID‑19, household contacts will need to comply with the following requirements:

• Advise ACT Health that they are a household contact by completing a COVID-19 online declaration form which can be accessed here. 
• Wear a face mask in all indoor spaces when outside of their home, workplace or place of study
• Work or study from home, where it is practical to do so, and where it suits the employer and employee. 
• Notify their employer and/or educational facility that they are a household contact.
• If they are required to attend work or study in person, individuals will be required to return a negative result in the 24 hours prior to returning to work or study and then every 48 hours if ongoing attendance is required. 
• Return a negative test 24 hours prior to attending 
• If attending a gathering that is unavoidable they must have returned a negative COVID‑19 test result in the 24 hours prior to attending.
•  They are prohibited from entering high-risk settings such as aged care facilities and hospitals unless they reside there or need care 

In addition, from 11:59 pm on Friday 29 April 2022, all international travellers arriving in Australia will be encouraged to get a COVID-19 test within 24 hours of their arrival. Quarantine requirements for unvaccinated travellers will be removed.

There are currently no changes for COVID-19 positive cases, with the seven-day isolation requirement remaining. A person who has recovered from COVID-19 does not need to isolate, quarantine or test for COVID-19 for 12 weeks from their date of clearance.

The Minister for Health stated that the changes announced today align with those already in place in NSW and Victoria while also accounting for local conditions in the ACT. The ACT government will continue to review Covid-restrictions on an ongoing basis.

For further information, please contact your Hawker Britton consultant Simon Banks on +61 419 638 587. Further Hawker Britton Occasional Papers about Covid Restrictions in other Australian states and territories are available here.