Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 27) — The Department of Health is looking at the possibility of allowing a shorter quarantine period for fully vaccinated health workers who were exposed to a COVID-19 patient to avoid crippling hospital operations.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire on Friday said their proposal to experts is to shorten the quarantine period from two weeks to just seven days. It will include testing the health workers on the 5th or 6th day before allowing them to return to duty.
However, Vergeire said the final decision will be up to the hospitals.
“May ibang ospital nang gumagawa nito. Sa tingin namin magiging feasible naman because they are regularly monitored,” she said in a media briefing. “It’s an option given to hospitals so that we can preserve better our health workers.”
[Translation: Some hospitals are already doing this. We think this is feasible since they are regularly monitored.]
The government recently retracted its decision to allow only seven days of quarantine for fully vaccinated close contacts due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant.
