States and territories will no longer publish COVID case numbers daily, moving to weekly updates on new infections.

The decision follows a meeting of health ministers last Friday, but was not made public until Wednesday.

The weekly figures, to be consistently reported across Australian jurisdictions, will include case numbers, new and total deaths, vaccination rates and hospital data. It will include a breakdown of intensive care and ventilated patients.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said health officials had backed the changes.

“The move is supported by chief health officers and will ensure high quality, accurate information is provided that sheds more light on COVID dynamics,” he said on Wednesday.

“This approach will bring national reporting in line with all the state and territories and support the analysis of COVID trends nationally and globally.

“The national report will be expanded to include trends-based analysis and oral antiviral treatment uptake.”

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said cases had slowed in the territory, which will move to weekly reporting on September 16. The final daily case numbers report will be issued on Friday.

“The winter wave of COVID-19 has passed and we have reached a stage in the pandemic where daily reporting is not as important as it was,” she said.

“Weekly reporting will allow the public to stay informed about the level of COVID in the ACT and the impacts it is having on our health system and society more broadly.”

NSW Health said it would continue to provide COVID information and analysis in its weekly respiratory surveillance reports. In addition, the chief health officer would continue to immediately alert the public of any concerning COVID developments, a spokesperson said.

Victorian health authorities said they would continue with a weekly tweet of COVID data, from Friday.

Wednesday’s announcement follows an agreement at national cabinet last Friday to cut isolation requirements for many COVID patients from seven days to five.

Shorter isolation periods will apply to asymptomatic virus-positive Australians from this Friday (September 9). Seven-day rules will still apply for those who work in high-risk settings such as aged and disability care.

Announcing the change last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described it as a “proportionate response at this point in the pandemic”.

The $750 pandemic leave payments will also be reviewed, given the reduced isolation requirements.

Rules requiring masks to be worn on domestic flights will also end on September 9.

-with AAP