The last round of corona measures involved one tightening of the quarantine rules.
Several people are now speaking out in favor of easing the regulations, including City Councilor Rayomond Johansen (Labor Party) and Health Councilor Robert Steen (Labor Party) in Oslo, who believe that the infection should be released to a greater extent.
– To a large extent, it is now the rules for isolation and quarantine that lead to high absenteeism in important community services locally, the politicians write in a column in VG.
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They further believe that we must ask ourselves whether the quarantine rules do greater harm than the disease, now that the vast majority have been vaccinated and vulnerable people have been offered a refresher dose.
Assistant Director of Health Espen Rostrup Nakstad does not rule out changes in this area.
– There have actually been adjustments here also in recent weeks, and there may still be adjustments in the future, Nakstad says to Dagbladet.
Beats GP alarm: -The crisis is here now
– Takes two to three days
– What is the minimum reasonable number of days for the quarantine?
– The period of quarantine duration has been shortened several times during the pandemic. This is because the incubation time with the new virus variants seems to be shorter, says Nakstad.
With omikron, according to Nakstad, it seems that most people who become infected become ill themselves, or those who carry the infection, within two to three days.
– After seven days, there is very little chance that you are infected if you have not had symptoms or tested positive. A lot happens within the first week, and you are probably most contagious just before symptoms and while you have symptoms. A few days after that, you will no longer be contagious.
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This is what forms the basis for the current insulation regulations, Nakstad explains:
If you are diagnosed with covid-19, you must isolate yourself for at least six days with the current rules. If you become ill, the days from the onset of symptoms are counted. If you are asymptomatic, the days from when you took the test are counted. In addition, you must have been fever-free for at least 24 hours before meeting people.
The new quarantine rules
The quarantine rules are more complicated. You will be quarantined in close contact with an infected person, but the severity of the quarantine varies according to the nature of the close contact. If you live with an infected person, the quarantine is valid for ten days, with the opportunity to test yourself on day seven. In case of other close contact with an infected person, you can test yourself on day three after the contact.
– This has gone downhill and been liberalized continuously in the pandemic. It may be that this can be simplified in other ways as well, says Nakstad.
Adjustments may occur
There is little indication that the controversial quarantine rules for employees in schools and kindergartens will be changed when the measures are to be reconsidered this week.
Minister of Education Tonje Brenna (Labor Party) stated VG in romjula that the government will stick to the rules, which means that the employees are imposed on the leisure quarantine, but get exceptions during working hours.
Nakstad emphasizes that undergoing coronary heart disease, vaccination with a third dose and extensive testing can shorten the number of days in quarantine with current regulations.
– Are there other quarantine rules you can get rid of?
– Everything that has to do with isolation and quarantine is continuously assessed on the basis of which virus variant we have and how it behaves. It is a goal for us to simplify this as much as possible and have as many rules as possible so it is easy to relate to, says Nakstad.
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