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Covid: US halves isolation time for asymptomatic infection Covid: US halves isolation time for asymptomatic infection
(about 8 hours later)
More than 200,000 daily cases of Omicron have been recorded in the US over the past two daysMore than 200,000 daily cases of Omicron have been recorded in the US over the past two days
The United States has halved the recommended isolation time for people with asymptomatic Covid infections from 10 to five days. US health officials have halved the recommended isolation time for people with asymptomatic Covid-19 from 10 to five days, amid a surge in cases.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that this must be followed by five days of wearing a mask around others. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said this must be followed by five days of wearing a mask around others.
While the new recommendations are not mandatory, they are closely followed by many businesses and policymakers across the US. It said most transmissions happen in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.
It comes as a surge in Covid cases causes travel chaos across the country. The measure is expected to alleviate disruptions caused by staff shortages in many areas because of infections.
President Joe Biden has pledged to deal with a shortage of tests as Omicron threatens to overwhelm hospitals. The sharp rise in cases has been fuelled by the Omicron variant of the virus, which is now the dominant strain in the US. Early studies suggest Omicron is milder but more contagious than other variants.
The CDC said the change is "motivated by science" demonstrating that most transmission happens early in the course of illness. But the growing number of people becoming infected and having to isolate has put pressure on several industries, including air travel, with thousands of flights cancelled during the Christmas holiday.
It has also updated recommendations for people exposed to Covid who are either unvaccinated or yet to get a booster jab. The change, which the CDC said was "motivated by science", was announced as more than 200,000 daily infections were confirmed in the last two days in the country.
For these groups, the CDC said it "now recommends quarantine for five days followed by strict mask use for an additional five days" after exposure. CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky said the reviewed guidance "balances what we know about the spread of the virus and the protection provided by vaccination and booster doses".
People who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following exposure but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure, the CDC said. "These updates ensure people can safely continue their daily lives," Dr Walensky said in a statement.
In the press release announcing the update, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said the changes "ensure people can safely continue their daily lives." There was no recommendation for people to take rapid at-home tests before the end of their isolation periods, a measure recommended by many experts as it helps to show whether people continue to spread the virus.
"Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather." In England, people are now required to isolate for seven days, instead of 10, with two negative lateral flow tests needed to end their self-isolation - the first no earlier than day six of isolation and a second 24 hours later.
Omicron is now the dominant strain in the US, which has recorded more than 200,000 daily Covid infections in the last two days. Prof Sir John Bell of Oxford University told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "My view is that lateral flow tests are quite a good way of marking who's infectious and who isn't."
President Biden has warned that hospitals could be "overrun" but that people do not need to panic as the country is better equipped to deal with the latest Covid surge.
He also acknowledged that more needs to be done to make testing readily available.
"Seeing how tough it was for some folks to get a test this weekend shows that we have more work to do," he said as he joined a call with the administration's Covid response team and state governors. "It's clearly not enough."
He said that new steps will include improving at-home test manufacturing and making it easier to use Google to locate nearby test centres.
Different states and local authorities in the US are introducing new measures in a bid to combat rising cases. New vaccine requirements have come into force in New York City, including a vaccine mandate for private-sector workers in the city.
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Watch: How an iconic Manhattan magazine shop survived the pandemicWatch: How an iconic Manhattan magazine shop survived the pandemic
The CDC also shortened the quarantine period for people exposed to someone infected. Unvaccinated people will be required to quarantine for five days after exposure, down from 14 days.
The same applies to people who were more than six months on from their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two months after a Johnson & Johnson shot, and had not yet received a booster shot.
Last week, the CDC reduced the recommended isolation time for asymptomatic health workers from 10 to seven days. But they are required to take a test to end their isolation period.
While the new recommendations are not mandatory, they are closely followed by many businesses and policymakers across the US.
On Monday, President Joe Biden pledged to deal with a shortage of tests as Omicron threatens to overwhelm hospitals.
"Seeing how tough it was for some folks to get a test this weekend shows that we have more work to do," he said as he joined a call with the administration's Covid response team and state governors. "It's clearly not enough."
New steps will include improving at-home test manufacturing and making it easier to use Google to locate nearby test centres, he said.
Different states and local authorities in the US are introducing new measures in a bid to combat rising cases. New vaccine requirements have come into force in New York City, including a vaccine mandate for private-sector workers in the city.