DOH mulls shorter quarantine period for fully vaxxed HCWs

MANILA – The Department of Health is mulling a shorter quarantine period of seven days for fully vaccinated healthcare workers exposed to persons infected with Covid-19.

In a television interview, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said a shorter isolation time would ensure the availability of more healthcare workers amid the uptick in coronavirus cases.

“Magpapalabas po tayo ng isang polisiya kung saan we will be shortening the quarantine period of close contacts who are fully vaccinated na healthcare workers para naman po hindi 14 na araw sila nawawala sa hospital (We will issue a policy shortening the quarantine period of fully vaccinated healthcare workers so that they will not be away for 14 days),” Vergeire said.

Under the proposal, healthcare workers in isolation must have a negative swab test result on the fifth day of quarantine.

“We need to vet (the proposal) with our experts but if in case they all agree, we are going to issue this policy,” Vergeire said.

Amid the rise in cases, Vergeire said the department continues to aid hospitals in expanding bed capacity and hiring more healthcare workers.

On Aug. 23, the Philippines logged another 18,332 new cases and 151 new deaths, bringing the overall tally of active cases to 130,050 and the death toll to 31,961.