Starting February 19, the isolation period for people who test positive for Covid-19 will be extended to seven days from the current five. No quarantine will be mandatory after a risky contact.
According to Health Ministry spokesperson Ondřej Jakob, this is another step in the easing of coronavirus restrictions. “In our opinion, quarantines no longer make sense after a risky contact,” Jakob said.
The ministry anticipates that covid-19 “will gradually become just a common cold”. “Of course, if the situation worsens, we are ready to react quickly and take appropriate measures,” he added.
The reason for the extension of isolation from five to seven days, he said, is the end of testing in companies and schools. “That is why we consider seven days more appropriate, which is on average the time that patients with common similar diseases tend to have at home.”
The isolation period for people without symptoms will end automatically after seven days.
Latest statistics
The daily number of new Covid-19 cases continues to decline. Laboratories registered 22,118 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday, around 6,600 fewer than on the same day a week ago.
There were over 4,000 re-infections, according to Ministry of Health data.
There are currently 3,785 people hospitalized with Covid, an increase of around a tenth on the same day last week. Some 247 people are in serious condition.
