Former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth is calling for a targeted approach to COVID in order to protect vulnerable Australians.

State premiers are expected to receive health advice to mandate masks in indoor settings at a snap national cabinet meeting.

Dr Coatsworth told Joe Hildebrand people with pre-existing conditions should have earlier access to boosters.

“If we still see numbers going up with indoor mask-wearing, … then we need to pivot even further to very targeted, focused, protection of Australians who need protecting and for the rest of us, who are at less risk, to be entitled to get on with it in 2022.”

He says the country needs to pivot to learn to live with COVID.

“It’s taken a long time because a community can’t go from being afraid of COVID, from having fear drummed into them.

“It takes that time to pivot, but now it’s time to look at hospitalisations.”

Press PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Getty/David Gray