FROM 11.59pm next Tuesday (April 26) household contacts of COVID-19 in the ACT will no longer have to quarantine if they have no covid symptoms.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith announced the easing of quarantine requirements today after NSW and Victoria scrapped isolation for close contacts earlier this week.

ACT Health says that from 11.59pm on April 26, household contacts will need to comply with the following requirements for seven days from the time the first person in their household tested positive for COVID‑19:

• Advise ACT Health that they are a household contact by completing an COVID-19 online declaration form.
• Wear a face mask in all indoor spaces when outside of the home, if aged 12 years and over.
• 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. This will assist employers and educational facilities to determine whether the household contact can work or study from home or can attend the facility following an assessment of risks in accordance with work health and safety obligations.
• If it is not practical to work or study from home, and there is mutual agreement to attend work or study, individuals must undertake COVID-19 testing and 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.
• If needing to attend a gathering that is unavoidable they must have returned a negative COVID‑19 test result in the 24 hours prior to attending.
• Do not enter a high-risk setting such as aged care or hospital unless they reside there or need care (noting that high-risk settings can consider granting exemptions from this requirement).

ACT Health says household contacts must not leave their home if they develop any symptoms of covid. They should undergo covid testing and isolate until a negative result is received. Even if their test is negative, they must stay at home until their symptoms resolve.

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

In addition, from 11.59pm on Friday April 29, all international travellers arriving in Australia will be encouraged to get a covid test within 24 hours of their arrival. Quarantine requirements for unvaccinated travellers will be removed.