Following a meeting with National Cabinet, Covid-19 restrictions have eased slightly, with some rules relaxing for the first time since 2020. 

From September 9, Isolation periods for positive Covid-19 cases have been reduced from seven to five days, so long as there are no symptoms at five days. 

Workers in high risk settings including aged care, disability care and those providing care in a home will require the usual seven days of isolation.

National Cabinet also agreed to remove the mandatory wearing of masks on domestic flights, which will also come into effect on September 9.

Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) President Dr Megan Belot said that it’s promising to see a return to normalcy, but that further monitoring is required following the changes. 

“Unfortunately we still have many thousands of COVID cases in the community and the last thing we need is for this to get further out of hand. It is possible with this recent change we will see another up lift in cases, particularly in the short term,” Dr Belot said. 

While the changes will be a relief to some, the caveats place responsibility on people to use their own discretion while leaving isolation. 

“Unfortunately, it will often fall to employers and their management staff now to take responsibility for this and send anyone home who returns to work prematurely, in an effort to prevent other staff and customers being exposed,” Dr Belot said. 

In NSW, the Covid-19 wave that began in July is in decline, although case numbers remain relatively high with 4,160 new positive cases and 21 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. 

In the past four weeks, 6230 positive cases have been recorded in the Western NSW Local Health District.

Despite having some of the lowest case numbers in the state, Dr Belot said that regional health services have suffered the blow of the pandemic. 

“COVID has demonstrated the vulnerability in Australia's health system, particularly across rural areas, with wide-spread shortages of GPs resulting in delayed patient care and increased presentations to Emergency services in public hospitals,” she said.

"Patients are presenting to their GP more unwell than previously, because COVID has created such increased demand on an ever decreasing number of doctors, patients often simply can't get an appointment at an earlier date.”

While Covid-19 protocols have eased, locals are urged to take necessary precautions to maintain their own safety, and the safety of the community, as local transmission still remains.