COVID19: Self-isolation for non-serious cases reduced to 10 days

Based on new scientific evidence, the Health Ministry has updated its guidelines on COVID-19 self-isolation, cutting quarantine to a mandatory ten days from the previously prescribed 14.

It means that people currently in self-isolation will see their quarantine shortened.

The new quarantine rules are for coronavirus cases without symptoms or for those suffering mild COVID-19 effects.

Self-isolation can end for asymptomatic individuals ten days after testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.

The same applies to Individuals experiencing mild or moderate symptoms, provided they have no fever for at least three days (without the use of medicine), and all other symptoms have improved.

“It is clarified that self-isolation of positive cases lasts 10 days.

“Therefore, the discharge date of the positive case is the 11th day from the date of the first positive laboratory result, or the date of the onset of symptoms, which is defined as day 0,” said a Health Ministry statement.

Citizens should contact their GP to ensure the criteria are met.

The ministry’s Epidemiological Monitoring Unit releases those not registered with a GP.

The new recommendations concern all those who fall under the above two groups of positive cases (asymptomatic or with mild/moderate symptoms), regardless of their vaccination history.

The decision applies retroactively, and GPs have already been informed about the revised instructions.

However, the instructions for close contacts remain unchanged.

Close contacts with a vaccination history are excluded from self-isolation, provided they are fully vaccinated or 14 days have elapsed since their vaccination with a single-dose shot.

Any close contact without a vaccination history must remain in mandatory self-isolation for 14 days from their last contact with the positive case regardless of the laboratory test result.

Close contacts without a vaccination history can be released on the seventh day, provided they undergo, at their own expense, a PCR test with a negative result.