Shortening Time Spent in Isolation Is Being Considered
Waiting in line for a PCR test. mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Chief Epidemiolgist Þórólfur Guðnason is currently looking into the possibility of changing his recommendations regarding time spent in quarantine and isolation, Morgunblaðið reports. The reason is that on Tuesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated and shortened its recommended isolation and quarantine period for the general US population.
The CDC shortened the recommended time for isolation from ten days for people with COVID-19 to five days, if asymptomatic, followed by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others. (See here).
Þórólfur is expected to announce his decision today.
“The CDC has a great number of specialists and large groups of people it can study,” states Superintendent Víðir Reynisson. “So far, their data have served us fairly well, and in many cases we have followed their assessments.”
The operation of Landspítali National University Hospital was moved to an alert phase yesterday.
Minister of Health Willum Þór Þórsson tells Morgunblaðið that if shortening the time asymptomatic patients spend in isolation in the US produces good results, then it is conceivable that a similar change will be made in Iceland, but only in consultation with the chief epidemiologist.
In Iceland, time spent in isolation was recently changed to ten days for everyone infected with COVID-19. Before the change, asymptomatic people could get out of isolation after seven days, while people with symptoms had to spend up to 14 days in isolation. The change was made for simplification.
UPDATE: Chief Epidemiologist Þórólfur Guðnason announced before noon today that for the time being, he recommends no changes to rules regarding isolation or quarantine in Iceland.
