Shorter quarantine OK’d for fully vaccinated close contacts of COVID cases

MANILA, Philippines — The national government has reduced the quarantine period for fully vaccinated individuals who were close contacts of COVID-19 positive patients from ten to seven days.

“In situations when fully vaccinated individuals are close contacts of probable and confirmed COVID-19 cases, they may undergo a shortened 7-day quarantine period only if they remain asymptomatic for the duration of the 7-day period,” said presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in a statement on Sunday.

“In case there is a need for RT-PCR testing, this may be done not earlier than the 5th day after the date of the last exposure,”  he added.

Roque also said that there is no more testing and quarantine required for close contacts who may have been traced beyond the seventh day from the last exposure but remained asymptomatic.

However, if the RT-PCR test yields a positive result (or the individual becomes symptomatic), testing and isolation protocols shall be followed.

Roque has also finalized the protocols on what qualifies as a fully vaccinated individual.

According to him, a person will only be considered fully inoculated if it has been two weeks or more since he or she received the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, and two weeks since receiving a single-dose COVID-19 jab.

Roque also reiterated that only vaccines with emergency use authorization or a Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) from the Philippine Food and Drug Administration, or those on the World Health Organization’s Emergency Use Listing, will be counted as officially administered vaccines.

The national government has now also allowed the “intrazonal movement” of fully-vaccinated senior citizens but only within areas under General Community Quarantine and Modified General Community Quarantine.

“This, however, is subject to the presentation of a COVID-19 domestic vaccination card duly issued by a legitimate vaccinating establishment, or certificate of quarantine completion showing the holder’s vaccination status as may be issued by the Bureau of Quarantine,” said Roque.

Meanwhile, interzonal travel is now also allowed “under the pertinent resolutions of the IATF and provisions of the Omnibus Guidelines on the Implementation of Community Quarantine in the Philippines.”

As amended, the presentation of a COVID-19 domestic vaccination card duly signed by a legitimate vaccinating establishment, or certificate of quarantine completion showing the holder’s vaccination status issued by the Bureau of Quarantine shall be sufficient alternatives to any testing requirement (before travel or upon arrival) which the local government of destination may require.

This will likewise apply to fully-vaccinated senior citizens.

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