DAVID KOCH:
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd joins me now. Professor, appreciate your time again. As we just heard, hundreds of people are still breaching these self-isolation conditions. It beggars belief, [indistinct] we can't trust this many people. What can we do to stop it? Should we tighten the rules even further, put ankle bracelets on them or trackers?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Look, it's absolutelssssy inexcusable that people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 are in isolation and are being told to stay at home, are leaving their homes. It's absolutely imperative that people stay at home for the entire period of their isolation, do not leave their home for any reason at all. We have seen additional measures which have been utilised in other countries, Kochie, with wrist bracelets and other ways of monitoring where people are. This hasn't happened at this time in Australia of course.
DAVID KOCH:
Should we introduce it? Should we be thinking about it?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Look, I think better that we make sure that the population are working with us - as the vast majority of people in Victoria are. They're doing the right thing, and we need to support people in doing that. It is, of course, really challenging for people who now find themselves with these very harsh restrictions. But it's absolutely essential for the health and well-being of everybody in the community that people adhere to the public health matters.
DAVID KOCH:
Michael, just let me challenge your good nature then, because the vast majority of those self-isolating, 800 out of 3000, were not. So, a significant proportion can't be trusted?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Well, what we know is that the restrictions on people in isolation have been increased over the last few days, with now people are not allowed out of their homes to exercise at all. So, they are expected to be at home. It may be that some people in isolation are in isolation at a different residence to the one which may be on their official records, and so people do need to be contacted and find out where they are by phone.
DAVID KOCH:
Okay. Alright. Just explain to us too, you go into isolation if you test positive or you've been in contact. At the end of the 14 days, do you have to have another test before you come out of isolation?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Look, the requirements differ from state to state as to the measures around isolation. Usually, people do not require a further test because after 14 days, you're deemed to be highly unlikely to be infectious to anybody else.
If people still have symptoms though, then they require to still be under medical care, and the period where people are isolated may need to extend. So, we have seen, for example, with some people who become gravely unwell and end up in hospital, that their illness, of course, can be more than 14 days.
DAVID KOCH:
Okay. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller wants returning travellers from Melbourne to wear masks, there's also a push for them to enter 14-day hotel quarantine. What would your advice be?
MICHAEL KIDD:
Well firstly, with the border closed between Victoria and New South Wales, most people of course should not be crossing the borders. So, we should have a very limited number of people who are coming into New South Wales. Yes, I fully support the recommendation that people coming from areas of high community transmission, wear a mask to protect other people. So, that is very sensible and sound advice.
DAVID KOCH:
Okay. Alright, Michael. Thanks for your time.
MICHAEL KIDD:
Thanks Kochie.
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