Explanation of new quarantine rules

Health officials released a detailed description of the new quarantine rules for people infected with COVID-19 and those who came into contact with them, which came into force on Monday.

People who live in the same household as those who are positive for COVID-19

Contact persons who are positive for COVID-19 and who live in the same household are obliged to quarantine completely for 10 days instead of 14 days only if:

• Persons over the age of 18 have a valid vaccine certificate for booster if the booster date is at least 14 days before the release date.
• Persons between the ages of 5 and 17 have a valid vaccination certificate with a complete primary vaccination schedule for the second dose (if the second dose is at least 14 days before the release date). ..

People who live in the same household as COVID-positive individuals are only eligible for a 10-day reduction in quarantine period if both themselves and the COVID-positive individuals are fully vaccinated.

In addition, the contacts of positive individuals and their families will be released after 10 days only if they are asymptomatic for at least 3 days on the end of quarantine. If the symptoms persist, you should remain self-isolated until 24 hours after the symptoms disappear. Positive case household contacts cannot be released before the positive case is released.

Changes to this policy also apply to the contacts of positive people and their families who are already in quarantine to date and meet the above criteria.

Release from public health freed from contact information for COVID-19-positive individuals and their households because the quarantine / quarantine obligations for positive cases and their contact information include details of the required quarantine / quarantine period. No letter will be issued. Self-quarantine.

Public health will continue to enforce these applicable rules and regulations, and if anyone is found to be in breach of these regulations, they will be fined in accordance with current law.

Close primary non-household contacts

Close contact (also known as primary contact) is at risk of developing COVID-19 (eg, face at close range) due to significant exposure to COVID-19 positive cases during the period of infection. It took a lot of time to spend time together and share). Closed space with long-term or physical contact).

Primary contacts who do not live with positive cases and have a valid vaccination certificate (double or double dose and booster immunization), as is the policy since August 2021. Continue to be eligible for early release from quarantine provided for 7 days. They can be performed at a rapid testing center registered on day 7 or an accredited laboratory for rapid testing or NAAT testing (nucleic acids such as PCR). Tested with an amplification test), which results in a “non-reactive” (negative) COVID-19 test.

Even after the trial is conducted, the vaccinated primary contact and others living in the same dwelling will remain quarantined until they receive a negative result.

After that, the quarantine period ends at midnight on the 7th day.

• For primary / close contacts who do not live in the same household as the positive case
• Persons over the age of 18 have a valid vaccine certificate for booster vaccination, and the date of booster dose is at least 14 days prior to the release date.
• Persons aged 5 to 17 years have a valid vaccine certificate, have a complete primary schedule and two doses, and the second dose is at least 14 days prior to the release date.

If you choose not to perform the 7-day test, you will be released from quarantine at midnight on the 10th day after exposure if you have the above valid vaccine certificate.

Unvaccinated people will be quarantined for 14 days

Changes to this policy also apply to key contacts that were already self-quarantined prior to today. Public health will continue to enforce these rules and regulations, and if anyone is found to be in breach of these regulations, they will be fined in accordance with the law.

Household members with intimate contacts (secondary contacts)

Starting today, household members with primary / intimate contacts (secondary contacts) are eligible for quarantine exemption if:

He is 18 years of age or older, has a valid vaccine certificate for booster immunization, and the date of booster immunization is at least 14 days before the release date.

also

He is 5 to 17 years old, has been vaccinated twice, and has a valid vaccination certificate whose second vaccination date is at least 14 days before the release date.

When

Not symptomatic, not a major contact in confirmed cases, or not positive on the test.

Those who do not meet the above criteria should observe the quarantine with the primary contact until the primary contact is released.

Unvaccinated people

All of the above policy changes do not apply to unvaccinated persons, either in positive cases, primary or secondary contact. For unvaccinated persons, including children under the age of 5, the applicable self-quarantine and quarantine period remains 14 days.

Travel-related quarantine

Travel-related quarantine applies to persons over the age of 12 who do not have a valid vaccination certificate for 14 days after arrival in Malta, and those who are permitted to travel from the dark red zone to Malta. Will be done. In either case, those who remain in the same household as the returnees who are required to be quarantined will be quarantined for the same period, even if they have been vaccinated.