There have been a bunch of COVID-19 developments in the past week.
But don't worry if you've missed an announcement or a rule change — we're here to get you up to speed in a flash.
Here's a look back at what's happened in COVID-19 news over the past week.
Click the links below to jump straight to that topic within this article.
- More people can get an extra booster shot
- The reinfection period has been reduced
- More people are eligible for antiviral treatments
- The free RAT scheme is ending
- Mask rules don't appear to be changing
More people can get a fourth vaccine dose
On Thursday, federal Health Minister Mark Butler announced changes to the eligibility criteria for a COVID-19 vaccine "winter dose", meaning an extra 7.4 million people are now able to get a fourth shot.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommended the changes due to a surge in Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariant infections.
It specifically recommended the shot for people over 50.
But people aged 30 to 49 may choose to have a fourth dose.
ATAGI didn't make a fourth dose available to healthy adults under the age of 30, saying it wasn't clear if the benefits outweighed the risks for this population group.
People in the following categories were already able to have an additional booster shot:
- All adults aged 65 years or older
- Residents of aged care or disability care facilities
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years or older
- People who are severely immunocompromised
- People aged 16 years or older with a medical condition that increases the risk of severe COVID-19 illness
- People aged 16 years or older with disability, significant or complex health needs, or multiple comorbidities which increase the risk of a poor outcome
ATAGI emphasised that the people in those categories were at a higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19, and urged them to get a winter booster "as soon as possible".
It also reduced the waiting time between booster doses down to three months.
The reinfection period is being reduced from three months to 28 days
On Friday, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPC) said:
"Given reinfections may occur as early as 28 days after recovery from a previous COVID-19 infection, the AHPPC advises that the reinfection period be reduced from 12 weeks to 28 days.
"People who test positive to COVID-19 more than 28 days after ending isolation due to previous infection should be reported and managed as new cases."
It prompted states and territories to change their isolation rules for people who had recently been infected with COVID-19.
Previously, people who had recently recovered from COVID-19 wouldn't need to be tested for the virus in the 12 weeks after their isolation period ended.
Here are each state and territory's rules:
ACT: If you develop new symptoms of COVID-19 and it has been longer than 28 days since your clearance from isolation, you should isolate and get tested for COVID-19. If your test result is positive for COVID-19, follow the information for people who test positive to COVID-19. See the government website.
NSW: People who have previously had COVID-19 should test for COVID-19 after 28 days since their isolation ended if experiencing symptoms and follow the relevant health advice if they test positive. People who test positive again will be reported and managed as new cases. See the government website.
Northern Territory: The territory's government announced changes to the rules today, but those changes were yet to be reflected online as of this afternoon. "Territorians are now required to re-test for COVID-19 if they experience symptoms 28 days after their COVID-19 infection. Positive results will be reported and managed as new cases," a statement said.
Queensland: The state's Health Minister Yvette D'ath announced the reinfection period had been reduced from 12 weeks to 28 days, but those changes were yet to be reflected online as of this afternoon. Here's what Ms D'ath said:
" [If] you've had COVID recently, but you have symptoms and it's been four weeks or more since you had that previous case … you should test yourself and if you're positive you will need to isolate for seven days again."
South Australia: If you develop COVID-19 symptoms after 28 days of finishing isolation, you should get a PCR test and isolate until you receive a result. If you test positive for COVID-19, you must follow the requirements for positive cases. If you develop new COVID-19 symptoms within 28 days of your release from isolation, you should isolate until you feel well. See the government website.
Tasmania: People who have symptoms of COVID-19 more than 28 days following their release from isolation should stay at home, test and, isolate for at least seven days if they test positive. See the government website.
Victoria: If you have recovered from COVID-19, you are not required to get tested or isolate/quarantine if you are re-exposed to a case within four weeks of ending your isolation period. During these four weeks, if you get new symptoms, we recommend you stay at home until your symptoms resolve. If you are at a high risk of severe illness, get tested. See the government website.
Western Australia: If you have recovered from COVID-19, you do not need to be tested again for COVID-19 within four weeks after you completed your required isolation. If you have recovered from COVID-19 and are told you are a close contact of a case within four weeks since you completed isolation, you will not be considered a close contact and you do not need to quarantine or be tested for COVID-19 in this period. See the government website.
More Australians are eligible for antiviral treatments
On Sunday, Mr Butler announced more people would be able to access COVID-19 antiviral treatments.
As of Monday, people in the following categories were able to access the drugs:
- All Australians aged over 70 who test positive for COVID-19
- People aged over 50 with two or more risk factors for severe disease
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged over 30 with two or more risk factors for severe disease
- People aged 18 and older who are severely immunocompromised or have severe physical or intellectual disabilities
The risk factors on the list include:
- Moderate or severe asthma
- Coronary artery disease
- Cardiomyopathy
- Demyelinating conditions
- Renal impairment
- Neurological conditions, such as stroke and dementia
- Cirrhosis
- Kidney failure
- Obesity
- Diabetes type one or two
- Living in remote areas without access to higher-level health care
Known as Lagevrio and Paxlovid, the drugs cost $6.80 for concession card holders.
For everyone else, they cost about $40.
The free RAT scheme stops at the end of the month
Currently, concession card holders have been able to access up to 10 free rapid antigen tests over three months from participating community pharmacies.
Those concession cards include the:
- Pensioner Concession Card
- Low Income Health Care Card
- Seniors Card
The scheme was introduced by the Morrison government in January.
But on Tuesday, Mr Butler said the scheme wouldn't be extended beyond this month.
Mr Butler said the RAT supply shortages seen earlier this year had ended and the price of individual tests "has come down dramatically" since the Omicron wave had hit Australia at the end of last year.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston have criticised the decision.
Are mask mandates coming back?
It doesn't sound like it.
The AHPC urged Australians to mask up "outside your home when in crowded, indoor environments including on public transport".
But mask mandates are decided by individual state and territory governments.
We're yet to hear of any jurisdiction ramping up mask mandates back to what they were earlier in the pandemic.
An update from Victoria's Chief Health Officer yesterday said there weren't any changes to mask rules, but wearing a mask indoors and in crowded settings was "strongly recommended".
Yesterday, Queensland's Chief Health Officer, John Gerrard, said it was unlikely wide-ranging mask mandates would be brought back.
