Turkey shortens quarantine period of Covid patients

Ankara, Jan 6 (IANS) Turkey has shortened the quarantine period of Covid-19 patients despite the resurgence triggered by the Omicron variant, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.The Turkish medical experts decided to "rearrange the quarantine periods, considering the current conditions", Xinhua news agency quoted Koca as saying in a written statement after a meeting of Turkey's coronavirus science council, reports Xinhua news agency.Accordingly, the quarantine period will end for people who show mild or no symptoms after the seventh day, the Minister said.The quarantine period will end if the person has a negative test result on the fifth day of the isolation, he added.The Covid-19 infected persons will not be quarantined if they have received the reminder dose vaccination or have had the disease in the last three months. Unvaccinated persons or infected persons who have passed three months after the reminder dose will be quarantined for seven days, the Minister noted.Previously, Covid-19 patients were subject to a 14-day quarantine in Turkey.The government was not considering new restrictions at the moment, Koca said, urging citizens to get vaccinated and take more personal measures.There is no worrying rise in hospitalization rates despite the increase in cases because of the Omicron variant, the Turkish Minister said.Although there is not enough data to prove patients infected by Omicron can be less sick than other Covid-19 variants, the available signs are not causing concern, he added.
--IANS ksk/

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