Scott Morrison says Covid close contact isolation rule ‘redundant’, more mobile homes on the way for NSW flood victims

Hello, Mostafa Rachwani with you this Saturday morning, to tell you the news of the day.

We begin with the ongoing flood cleanup in New South Wales and South East Queensland, with a declaration of national emergency made late Friday evening allowing the Federal Government to access more funds and resources .

The statement also comes as assistance to 12 NSW LGAs is extended until March, with many flood-affected communities still struggling to get back on their feet.

Meanwhile, moderate flooding is still occurring on the Hawkesbury River in North Richmond and Windsor, although floodwaters have receded from their peak earlier in the week.

People are still advised not to travel to western Sydney or the Blue Mountains, with severe thunderstorms forecast for the weekend.

In Covid news, the national cabinet is considering moving towards scrapping quarantine rules for close contacts, amid concerns surrounding a new sub-variant of Omicron.

The SMH also reports that NSW Health has recommended the reintroduction of a mask mandate, along with a return to density limits and a ban on singing and dancing.

The report comes as NSW is set to hit 25,000 daily cases due to the spread of the new subvariant, and with recall levels still lagging behind.

But NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard told the Herald he was “not at all keen” on reintroducing the rules, calling them a “last resort”.

All eyes will be on the growing Covid numbers, and we’ll bring you all the titles as they arrive.