As of October 11, those considered close contacts of a positive Covid case only need to isolate for one week if they are fully vaccinated.Dr Kerry Chant said close contacts generally included household members, partners and sometimes work colleagues.“We have decreased the timeframe needed (to isolate) for those that are vaccinated compared to non-vaccinated household contacts,” she said on Tuesday. “My key message is that households are still the highest risk. “Then the next layer is the people that you spend lots of time with … boyfriends, partners and people that you socialise with in indoor environments.“And then occasionally there’ll be workplace contacts.”When asked to clarify what would happen in an office situation, Dr Chant said authorities would consider what type of workplace it was and whether it had CovidSafe practices in place like social distancing.“We also go out for lunch. We also socialise after work, so it’s not to say none of your workplace colleagues will ever not be close contacts, but one of the key things you can do is continue to follow those CovidSafe practices,” Dr Chant said.She said if a person tested positive but their entire household was vaccinated they would only need to do seven days quarantine and avoid high-risk settings for 14 days.NSW Health officials announced the huge rule change earlier in the month. It kicked in after 70 per cent of the population was fully vaccinated.Here’s a breakdown on the rules.CLOSE CONTACTFrom October 11, any fully vaccinated person who is considered a close contact must get tested and self-isolate for seven days. Another test must be done on day six.If the second test comes back negative, the person can then end isolation. “For the following seven days, work from home where practicable, do not attend hospitality settings or a high-risk setting even if it is your place of work,” NSW Health said.They should also get tested on day 12 if they are a household contact.But if the person tests positive for Covid-19, they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status.For a person to be considered fully vaccinated they must have had both doses at least 14 days before they came into contact with a positive case.CASUAL CONTACTSRegardless of vaccination status, casual contacts need to isolate and get tested. They must remain in isolation until they get a negative test result.
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