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COVID19: Vaccinated close contacts no need to self-isolate

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People who are fully vaccinated will no longer have to self-isolate if they come into contact with a COVID-19 case, while the quarantine for close contacts has been shortened.

The Health Ministry said Wednesday, after reviewing its close contact and tracing protocols, decided that people who have received two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccine will no longer be subjected to restrictions applicable for close contacts.

A prerequisite, however, is that 14 days must be completed since their second dose of the vaccine.

Furthermore, those who have contracted the virus within the past six months, and have made a full recovery, are also not required to self-isolate.

However, both categories of close contacts will have to undergo a PCR test provided by health authorities, as is the case for all close contacts.

Police officers are entitled to ask people exempt from self-isolation for vaccination certificates.

The Health Ministry also said that t close contacts could end their self-isolation after seven days instead of two weeks as per the previous protocols.

Close contacts are still obliged to self-isolate for 14 days from their last contact with a positive case regardless of their own test results.

They end self-isolation earlier after a negative PCR test on the seventh day from the previous test.

The Health Ministry said the revision comes in the “context of new data emerging and following the scientific advisory committee’s recommendation for coronavirus”.

For those in constant contact with a known case, such as caregivers or parents of a child who tested positive, then the close contact’s isolation period begins when the positive case becomes negative.

Close contacts have to get tested at a designated facility, as they are prohibited from visiting rapid test sampling points, as there is a risk of the virus spreading.

A positive person is potentially contagious until they test negative.

The ministry said a positive case is asked to state the contacts they had two days before the onset of symptoms or two days before the test for asymptomatic cases.