State and territory leaders calling for mandatory COVID-19 isolation periods to end have been branded as "not scientifically literate" by the head of the Australian Medical Association.
As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to hold a national cabinet meeting in Canberra on Friday, state and territory leaders have been warned not to push for ending COVID isolation measures.
AMA President Steve Robson blasted calls to scrap five days of isolation, warning virus cases could soon spike.
"People who are pushing for the isolation periods to be cut are not scientifically literate and are putting the public at risk, and they need to understand that," he told the ABC.
"We're seeing a huge upswing in the numbers of COVID cases again. It's coming into holiday season when people would be travelling around the world.
"It's a period of significant risk and we're urging caution because we need to protect the health system."
Professor Robson said it was critical for state and territory leaders to heed the health advice given out at national cabinet.
Ahead of the meeting, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet called for mandatory isolation for COVID to be dropped altogether.
"We need to get to a point where if you're sick you stay at home and if you're well you go out and about and enjoy life and that's where we have to get to as a country," he told reporters.
"We also need to get to this position where people look out for each other, that we care for each other and make sure that if you're sick you stay home without there being a public health order in place."
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said COVID needed to be normalised as a virus and be treated like any other respiratory condition.
Meanwhile, ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said while case numbers were ticking downwards, caution was still needed.
"Right now is a period of low case numbers, low hospitalisation, low levels of community transmission, it's unlikely to be a better time than now going into summer," he told reporters.
"But you've got to also be mindful of what might come next."
The prime minister has consistently said national consensus is needed for any changes, as happened when leaders decided to cut the isolation period from seven to five days.
The end of isolation requirements would also lead to the end of pandemic leave payments for affected workers.
Meanwhile defence force support for the country's aged care sector for COVID is coming to an end.
In a joint statement released by Defence Minister Richard Marles and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, they confirmed the assistance will not be extended beyond Friday with the winter peak of the coronavirus over.
"We have left no stone unturned tackling the pandemic and supporting the aged care sector throughout this winter," Ms Wells said.
Mr Marles, who is also the deputy prime minister, said the ADF's resources had to be used for other priority areas.
The armed forces were brought in at the start of the pandemic as a surge workforce to help manage outbreaks in aged care homes.
WEEKLY VIRUS DATA BY JURISDICTION
* NSW: 12,592 new cases, 82 deaths
* Victoria: 9458 new cases, 59 deaths
* Queensland: 8061 new cases, 77 deaths
