5-day quarantine for asymptomatic, fully vaxxed individuals pushed

The Department of Health (DOH) pushes for a shorter quarantine period for asymptomatic and fully vaccinated COVID-19 patients.

DOH Undersecretary and treatment czar Leopoldo Vega the DOH would propose to the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to cut short the isolation period of those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and have completed their primary vaccine doses, such as health workers.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Ang gagawin namin at ipo-propose na din ng DOH ay i-streamline natin ‘to sa (what we will do and propose in DOH is to streamline this to the) general public to harmonize the isolation and quarantine protocols,” he said.

The IATF approved the five-day quarantine period for fully vaccinated health workers with COVID-19 or exposed to infected patients.

The decision came after hospitals raised alarms about their lack of staff amid the continuous increase in COVID-19 cases.

ADVERTISEMENT

Vega supported the IATF resolution, citing it has a basis and has peer-reviewed data coming from the United States and Europe.

Also read: Alert Level 4 not yet raised in Metro Manila: Malacañang

5-day quarantine for asymptomatic, fully vaxxed individuals pushed

He emphasized that 93% of the health workers are already inoculated and that, in a way, they are “protected against the virus, especially the Omicron, for hospitalization and even death.”
Vega further explained that if people are fully vaccinated, the viral load is “very low,” especially if they don’t have symptoms and could thus no longer infect others by the fifth day.

“Ito ‘yung talagang dahilan kung bakit inuna natin ang healthcare workers kasi madali silang ma-monitor ng kanilang infection and control committee diyan sa hospitals,” he added.

ADVERTISEMENT

(This is really why we prioritized the healthcare workers because they could be easily monitored by hospitals’ infection and control committees.)

The number of COVID-19 infections in the Philippines has exceeded 3 million after it added more than 28,000 new infections, according to data from the Department of Health (DOH), Tuesday.

DOH reported 28,007 new cases today, ending the country’s three consecutive historic highs when it comes to newly infected with the deadly disease.

Visit our Facebook page for more  updates.