7 Days Isolation Now

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has reduced the COVD-19 isolation period from 10 days to seven days.
Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong confirmed this yesterday.
This means a person testing positive can stop isolating if seven days have passed since the start of symptoms or since the positive test (for asymptomatic cases).
And a positive symptomatic patient could also stop isolating when symptoms have improved, and at least 24 hours have passed since the person had a fever (without the need to take fever-reducing medications like paracetamol).
“If you are not experiencing severe symptoms, there is no testing required at the end of the seven-day self-isolation,” Dr Fong said.
Close contacts
Dr Fong said close contacts of cases were no longer required to isolate unless they develop symptoms.
Contacts of cases do not need to be self-isolated, but they should monitor themselves for symptoms and self-isolate if symptoms present.
Tourism Fiji
Tourists coming into Fiji will also need to isolate for seven days if they test positive for COVID-19.
Science behind reduction
This reduction on the isolation period for positive patients follows recommendation from studies carried out by the United States’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on January 4. It recommends shorter isolation (for asymptomatic and mildly ill people) and quarantine periods of 5 days to focus on the period when a person is most infectious.
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