IATF suspends shortened quarantine for some fully vaccinated individuals
MANILA, Philippines — Fully vaccinated individuals who are close contacts of probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases will no longer be allowed to undergo a shortened quarantine period of seven days, the government's pandemic task force said.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque in a statement said the protocol that previously allowed fully vaccinated individuals to undergo a shortened quarantine period is temporarily suspended as "part of the continued implementation of proactive measures to slow down the surge in COVID-19 cases and to stop the further spread of the variants."
In light of the suspension, Roque said, testing and quarantine protocols for fully vaccinated individuals will comply with Department of Health Department Memorandum No. 2020-0512 which requires all those who have come into close contact with confirmed cases and travelers to undergo quarantine for 14 days.
Close contacts in the same DOH memorandum are defined as being exposed between the two days prior to and 14 days after the beginning of symptoms of the suspected or confirmed case by doing the following:
- face-to-face contact within 1 meter and for at least 15 minutes
- direct physical contact
- direct care for a patient without using personal protective equipment
- other situations as indicated by local risk assessments.
Close contacts who have been asymptomatic for at least 14 days after exposure to COVID-19 may be released from quarantine. However, if they develop symptoms or test positive for the virus, they will be isolated, admitted to, and treated in an appropriate facility. — Bella Perez-Rubio
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