MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) is studying the possibility of reducing the 14-day quarantine period for patients who have recovered from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire made the statement as health experts have discovered that a diagnosed person on the 10th day of illness no longer infect others.
“Atin pong pinagaaralan kung saka-sakaling itong additional 14 days pagkatapos ma-discharge sa ospital o ‘di kaya’y sa quarantine facility… kung mababawasan pa natin into just seven days,” Vergeire said over at the Laging Handa briefing.
Vergeire, however, clarified that the initial 14-day quarantine for suspected Covid-19 cases will remain but she said that DOH had already revised its protocols on the follow-up testing of recovered cases.
“Ito pong babawasan natin na araw kung sakaling irerekomenda ng eksperto ay iyong additional 14 days pagkatapos mong malagak sa ospital o quarantine facility,” Vergeire said.
“Tayo ay nag-shift ng protocols kung saan hindi na po natin nire-require na mag-test ang idi-discharge sa ospital at quarantine,” she added.
As of Saturday, the Philippines has 34,803 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 9,430 recoveries and 1,236 deaths.
