Quarantine duration shortened

(To watch the full press briefing with sign language interpretation, click here.)   The close contacts of local cases who are announced as positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus from today will have their quarantine period in a quarantine centre shortened to 14 days, the Government said.   This will be followed by seven days of self-monitoring and a compulsory virus test at a community testing centre on the 19th day.   Due to the recent surge in positive cases, the number of close contacts who have to be quarantined at a quarantine centre rose rapidly in the past few days, placing pressure on the capacity of quarantine facilities. Taking into consideration the relatively short incubation period for infection with the Omicron mutant strain and having consulted the Chief Executive’s expert advisory panel, the Government decided to shorten the duration of quarantine at a quarantine centre for close contacts from 21 days to 14 days.   People undergoing quarantine at a quarantine centre are subject to multiple testings there, the Government emphasised. They can only proceed with the seven-day self-monitoring after completing the 14-day compulsory quarantine with negative test results.   At a press briefing today, Centre for Health Protection Communicable Disease Branch Head Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan said: “The close contacts who are discharged from the quarantine centre are advised to self-monitor their symptoms. If they have any symptoms, they are advised to seek medical attention or go for testing.   “Also, they have to undergo compulsory testing on day 19 after their last exposure with the confirmed cases, but they are not subject to home quarantine.”   The new arrangement could spare more units in the quarantine centre for people of higher risk, the Government noted.   “As for the returnees from overseas, the Government is still maintaining a stricter measure against the imported cases. At this moment, the quarantine arrangement will remain,” Dr Chuang added.
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