Commenting on the story: SA close contact rules on agenda as Vic, NSW scrap isolation demand 

Please aim instead for compliance with epidemiological and pandemic specialists’ advice rather than “national consistency”.

I care about the health of my fellow South Australians (and other Australians truth be told) vastly more than I care about toeing a line that may or may not be evidence-based, best practice, sensible and effective. – Nicola Stratford

I’m curious about the idea of changing the close contact rule to simply require five negative RATs over seven days.

At $10-12 per RAT that seems like a good solution for the wealthy, not so much for the masses unless the State Government plans to make them free and easily available. – Bruce Hampson

Having just been through, and not quite done with the Covid experience I can’t understand why there is so much pressure to remove the close contact requirements.

I have no idea where I picked up the virus, and I’m pretty careful about wearing masks given I’m in the vulnerable seniors group.My wife didn’t show symptoms until three days after my PCR test. Lo and behold, she goes to get tested and returns a positive.

If that hadn’t been required we would have had to use five RATs, only to discover on the third one she would have proven positive and been out and about infecting people. Not good!

Additionally, there are many of us who don’t receive free RATs. I’m sorry but the cheapest we’ve found them where we live is about $12 each. Not sure about most people but I don’t see why I should have to pay that much money just because other people don’t want to take the appropriate precautions of getting vaccinated and/or wearing masks.

These policies are literally going to kill people, without reason. Public policy is being changed to adapt to public opinion. Perhaps our leaders should be leading not following. I’m certain there are many public policies out there we’d love to change because we don’t like them, but we don’t. Why are we changing one that will directly result in the deaths of vulnerable people. – Robert Sibson

I just read your article about SA’s Covid-19  close rules finally coming up for review and thought I would share some observations on the topic from Rome, Italy.

Here, spring and the Easter break have arrived with a bang. Like the days before 2020, there are tourists and pilgrims everywhere; the city is brimming with people.

Pope Francis conducted the famous Way of the Cross celebrations before a live audience of what appeared to be hundreds of thousands of people at the Colosseum, and yes, everyone I saw wore a mask.

Here one doesn’t hear a word about mutant Covid strains, wastewater testing, new variants or close contacts rules. There is an absence of chatter about quarantine requirements, there are no daily pressers featuring the Italian equivalents of Nicola Spurrier and Police Commissioner Stevens. Covid numbers are available on the Italian health department web page, if one chooses to look for them.

Prior to arriving in Italy, people who are fully vaccinated must fill in a passenger locator form and that’s the end of things; if one develops symptoms the onus is on you. There are Covid testing stations in public places all over the city, absent line ups. Some offer results while you wait.

People wear masks indoors and many places ask to sight a Green Pass or its equivalent. The Australian international Covid certificate available to passport holders at MyGov doesn’t have a QR code but it does show current vaccination status for entry to museums, art galleries and the like.

Restaurants, bars, pubs and cafe’s are all open and business is booming. Romans are doing what they do best, getting on with their lives and are  ‘living with Covid’. Covid safety is for the most part a personal responsibility issue and is taken very seriously.

Covid 19 is of course a very serious matter and needs to be treated seriously but it is refreshing, coming from Adelaide, to see people being treated as adults for a change. – Gilbert Aitken