Faced with a wave of the omicron variant that triggered the contagion of Covid-19, more and more governments around the world are easing the isolation rules for patients and their contacts to avoid economic paralysis.
The high degree of contagion of omicron and the consequent work suspensions and quarantines weigh heavily on societies, even though the acceleration of infections is not accompanied, for the moment, by an increase in mortality.
Europe, the current epicenter of the pandemic, faces unprecedented levels of infections: more than 4.9 million cases registered in the last seven days, 59% more than the previous week, according to a count by the AFP agency on Saturday, based on official figures.
Total, more than 100 million cases were registered in Europe since the virus was discovered in December 2019.
In Latin America, Ecuador announced on Saturday that it ended the last month of 2021 with 24,287 infections, more than double those reported in November (9,513) and triple the number in October (7,556).
Change of rules
Meanwhile France, with more than a million cases detected in the last seven days, announced on Sunday a relief from isolation rules of infected people and their contacts, as a way of preserving the socio-economic life of the country.
Chinstraps in the streets of Paris, this January 1, to protect themselves from the new wave of coronavirus. Photo: EFE
Under the rules that go into effect on Monday, positive people who have a full vaccination will have to be isolated for seven days instead of ten, and may be reduced to five if they are negative in a subsequent test.
Those who were in contact with these people should not quarantine if they have the complete vaccination scheme.
The rule change, similar to the one adopted days ago in Argentina, should ensure “control of infections while preserving socioeconomic life,” the French Ministry of Health explained in a statement.
In the UK, with record infections, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said there will be no new restrictions, except as “an absolute last resort”.
Shortly before Christmas, the British government had reduced the days of isolation for vaccinated people who contract the coronavirus from ten to seven.
A coronavirus testing center in front of the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris. Photo: EFE
“Limiting our freedom should be an absolute last resort and the British hope that we will do everything we can to prevent it,” Javid wrote in an article in the newspaper. Daily Mail.
“I am determined that we give ourselves the best opportunity to live with the virus,” added the official.
The British Ministry of Health is responsible for health policy in England, but not for the rest of the United Kingdom, which did adopt new restrictive measures against the omicron variant.
Prevent an economic collapse
Fear of economic destabilization led Spain to decide last Wednesday to reduce the isolation of people infected with covid-19 to seven days, instead of ten, to balancing public health and economic growth, according to the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez.
A poster calls for the use of chinstraps at a London Underground station. Photo: REUTERS
Portugal made the same decision on Friday.
For its part, the Swiss health authority decided on Friday that the cantons can reduce the quarantine for people who had contact with someone infected from ten to seven days.
In the United States, to limit the absences of infected workers and avoid lockdowns and shortages, the government of President Joe Biden decided on Monday to reduce the duration of the recommended quarantines from ten to five days for people who contracted COVID-19, as long as they are no symptoms.
South Africa estimates that it has already surpassed the peak of the omicron wave and lifted the night curfew that was in force for 21 months on December 31.
“We seek a balance between people’s lives, their livelihoods and the goal of saving lives,” explained the Minister of the Presidency, Mondli Gungubele.
Reflecting the invasive impact of omicron, global air traffic suffered numerous disruptions.
Pilots and crew members had to quarantine for COVID-19 infections or for contacts with infected people, taking airlines to cancel flights.
On Saturday in the United States, where bad weather added to the disturbances due to the wave of infections, some 2,660 flights were canceled, more than half of the cancellations worldwide, according to the FlightAware site.
Source: AFP
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