KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry today said close contacts of Covid-19 positive cases will not need to undergo mandatory quarantine regardless of vaccination status, starting from tomorrow.
Instead, those experiencing symptoms are only “encouraged” to self-quarantine and conduct RTK-Ag self-tests on the first and third day of the onset of symptoms, while asymptomatic cases can skip isolation and testing altogether.
This is according to the ministry’s latest standard operating procedures (SOPs) updated today on its Twitter account.
The new procedure stipulates that asymptomatic cases that have been in close contact with a positive patient only need to practise preventive measures for five days beginning from the day of the last exposure.
These measures include constantly wearing face masks when going out of the house, avoiding crowded places, ensuring good ventilation, avoiding visiting high-risk groups, and only taking part in essential travels.
As for those with symptoms, the ministry said these individuals may end their quarantine if their self-test results are negative and their symptoms have improved.
Previously, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced that beginning March 1, only close contacts aged 18 and above who have received all three vaccine doses and are asymptomatic will no longer have to undergo mandatory quarantine.
As a safeguard, he said these individuals must however conduct self-tests on the day they discover their exposure to a positive case, and another test on the third day.
He had said that these are among the steps being taken by the government as the country moves towards endemicity. – The Vibes, April 21, 2022
