Government announced the updated quarantine requirements for vaccinated close contacts of locally acquired COVID-19 cases
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For close contacts of locally acquired cases who do not have the N501Y mutant strain
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The duration of compulsory quarantine can be shortened from 14 days of quarantine in a quarantine centre (QC) to seven days of quarantine in a QC, counting from the last day of exposure to the confirmed case (the day of last exposure is regarded as Day 0), provided the following three criteria have been satisfied:
(a) documented proof of completion of two doses of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, and that 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the second dose#; and
(b) results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the respiratory specimens taken on Day 0 or Day 1 after admission to a QC being negative; and
(c) positive immunoglobulin G (IgG) or total antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, or positive surrogate neutralising antibody, taken after admission to a QC.
After completing the seven-day quarantine, the close contact will be subject to seven days of self-monitoring, and to compulsory testing at a community testing centre (CTC) on Day 12.
For close contacts of locally acquired cases detected to have the N501Y mutant strain
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The duration of quarantine in a QC can be shortened from 21 days to 14 days after the last day of exposure plus seven days of self-monitoring, counting from the last day of exposure to the confirmed case, and they are also subject to compulsory testing at a CTC on Day 19, provided the following three criteria have been satisfied:
(a) documented proof of completion of two doses of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines, and that 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the second dose#; and
(b) results of PCR testing of the respiratory specimens taken on Day 0 or Day 1 after admission to a QC, and those taken on Day 7 and Day 12 after last exposure to the confirmed case, being all negative; and
(c) positive IgG or total antibody against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, or positive surrogate neutralising antibody, taken after admission to a QC.
# The following persons are regarded as satisfying criteria (a):
1) close contacts who had documented past infection of COVID-19 within nine months after discharge; or
2) close contacts who had documented past infection of COVID-19 more than nine months after discharge plus one dose of CoronaVac or BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, and for whom 14 days have passed from the date of receiving the dose.
Ends/Friday, May 7, 2021
Issued at HKT 20:10
Issued at HKT 20:10
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