Quarantine time for asymptomatic COVID-19 patients cut to 7 days

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced the decision to cut quarantine time for COVID-19 patients who are asymptomatic to seven days. 

HPA announced the changes to quarantine rules on Thursday morning. 

According to the new rules, the quarantine time for people who test positive for COVID-19 will end in seven days if they present no symptoms. As for those who are symptomatic, their quarantine will end 24 hours after they stop showing symptoms. 

HPA said that though the quarantine time has been cut to seven days, a negative PCR test is required to return to work. 

Meanwhile, the quarantine time for fully vaccinated individuals who have had direct contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case has been cut to 10 days. 

Contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases who are fully vaccinated have two options. They can either get released after the 10 days without further testing if they show no symptoms, or they can get tested after five days of quarantine and get released if they test negative. 

Both options are applicable only if contacts quarantine separate from COVID-19 patients. 

Individuals who aren’t fully vaccinated will need to undergo 14 days of quarantine. They will be released from quarantine once they test negative after the 14 days. 

HPA said that the changes in quarantine rules is effective immediately, and is also applicable to individuals who are already in quarantine.