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New guidelines for Covid-19 close contacts to be announced next week

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry will be issuing new guidelines next week to address isolation protocols for those identified as Covid-19 close contacts.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said following the surge of Covid-19 cases in the country, close contact cases were also on the rise.

"When this happens and when it involves so many individuals becoming close contacts of a Covid-19 positive case, it will disrupt work processes and ultimately the economy will be affected.

"We will announce a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for close contacts next week," he said at a virtual press conference today.

Khairy said that the Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had issued a circular for public healthcare workers on the issue.

"For the public healthcare workers, those who are categorised as close contacts would not require to undergo isolation and will need to perform Covid-19 tests on certain days instead.

"We may apply a similar protocol for the public when it is suitable.

"I have also instructed Dr Noor Hisham to inform the private healthcare sector to adopt similar close contacts protocol as the ministry," he said.

According to the Health Ministry's current guideline for close contacts, those who have completed both Covid-19 vaccine doses and booster shots must undergo quarantine for five days.

Individuals who are fully vaccinated but yet to receive the booster shot must quarantine for seven days. Unvaccinated individuals are instructed to quarantine for 10 days when identified as a close contact.

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