Close contacts of COVID-19 cases should undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine even if they are fully vaccinated against the disease, Malacañang said Wednesday as the country fights the spread of the coronavirus Delta variant.
The government's inter-agency task force on pandemic response has decided to suspend a protocol that allows for a shortened quarantine of seven days for close contacts who have completed their COVID-19 vaccine doses, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said. The protocol was initially approved in July.
Close contacts are defined by the Department of Health as those who had exposure to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case two days before and 14 days after the onset of symptoms. These could be via face-to-face contact without personal protective equipment.
"The decision to temporarily suspend said protocol is 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," Roque said.
"All close contacts of probable and confirmed cases and travelers shall be placed under a 14-day quarantine period," he added.
Close contacts who will not exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 during their quarantine can discontinue it after 14 days while those who will show symptoms will be isolated and treated in the appropriate facility.
The Philippines has revived stricter COVID-19 protocols this month, including lockdowns and the suspension of leisure travel to control the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of coronavirus that has been detected in all localities of Metro Manila and other provinces.
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