This Tuesday, the various health ministers announced new testing and quarantine rules for the Belgian population in relation to the coronavirus epidemic. Important changes in our lives but a question arises: have you understood the different rules? Take our survey below.
The rules
As a reminder, there will soon be no more mandatory quarantine for people vaccinated against Covid-19, after high-risk contact with a person who tested positive. PCR tests for asymptomatic high-risk contacts are also being dropped as of next Monday, whether the person is vaccinated or not. The duration of isolation for positive people is also reviewed. The ministers of health of the various levels of power decided on Tuesday during a CIM (Interministerial Conference) Public health.
Currently, a fully vaccinated, high-risk contact without disease symptoms should remain in quarantine until a negative PCR result is obtained around the 5th day after the problematic contact. However, he has the possibility to come out of quarantine from the 4th day if he performs a negative self-test daily.
From Monday 10 (next Monday) the rules change.
One of the major changes is that those who have had high-risk contact (usually more than a quarter of an hour without sufficient distance or a mask) with a person who tested positive, but who themselves do not show any symptoms of the disease. disease, no longer need to undergo PCR testing. On the other hand, self-tests will continue to play a role in the revised quarantine rules.
Mandatory quarantine after high-risk contact is abandoned for those who are asymptomatic and received their second dose of vaccine less than 5 months ago, have had a booster dose, or have obtained a certificate of recovery within the last 5 months . For young people aged 12 to 17 vaccinated, regardless of the date of vaccination.
For asymptomatic high-risk contacts who do not fall into these categories, whether they are “partially” vaccinated (vaccination more than 5 months ago, without booster) or unvaccinated, a quarantine is maintained: from 7 days for the first, 10 days for the second. After a few days (4 and 7 respectively), they can go out on condition that they perform a negative self-test daily.
In any case, it remains essential in the 10 days following the contact to scrupulously respect the barrier gestures and to avoid contact with vulnerable people, because any risk of contamination is not ruled out, insist the competent ministers.
For people who are sick or who have tested positive (by PCR or antigen test), and who must therefore be placed in isolation, there is also a change from Monday: isolation goes from 10 to 7 days for asymptomatic and those who present only slight complaints. On the other hand, you must be free from fever for at least 3 days, and have seen your condition improve, to get out of isolation, and here too caution remains in order. Until day 10, “all activities for which it is impossible to wear a mask (such as eating with other people) are not allowed”, specify the ministers of health.
Isolation remains longer for positive people who reside in a nursing home or other communities welcoming vulnerable people: 10 days (instead of 14 currently).
Note that the tests in the workplace “are abandoned”, communicates the CIM. For the rules around the school, discussions are scheduled for Wednesday January 5 with the education ministers.
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