BY DAKOTA TAIT
The Hunter's saying goodbye to isolation requirements for close contacts of COVID cases tomorrow, but not everyone in the community is welcoming the move.
Business is praising the State Government's decision, with hopes it will ease the pressure on hospitality and retail grappling with staff shortages.
But people living with disabilities and immunocompromised conditions have raised concern, it's too soon to lift the restrictions.
David Belcher, a peer organiser with Community Disability Alliance Hunter, says the pandemic is far from over.
"Again, it seems like the State Government is just glossing over the fact that's there still vulnerable people out in the community," Mr Belcher said.
"The general public should still be aware, that COVID's very, very real in our community, people are still dying, and there's high death rates of people with COVID since the pandemic started."
From 6pm on Friday, unless they have symptoms, close contacts won't need to spend seven days at home.
The scrapping of isolation rules does have caveats, however - they will need to do daily RAT tests, wear a mask indoors, and avoid high-risk settings and elderly and immunocompromised people.
But Mr Belcher says, despite the terms and conditions, it still leaves people with few options.
"It's all well and good for those without a pre-existing condition - you can just isolate until you feel safe and comfortable," Mr Belcher said.
"But the reality is for most people with disability, one, it's mentally not a great idea, and two, in a lot of circumstances it's actually not even capable, because people with disabilities may need support workers, or other types of support to come into their house."
It comes as Hunter New England continues to lead the health districts in the number of new cases across New South Wales.
Vaccine mandates for most workers and passenger caps on public transport are also set to soon be ditched.
Mr Belcher says the community should have been properly consulted before the move went ahead.
"What we should be looking at is a way where we can truly live with COVID in our community, where people are still feeling safe, where their needs and their desires to be a part of the community are respected," Mr Belcher said.
"That may mean using masks, it may mean isolating for a short period of time."
