Covid contact tracing to be scaled down, change in quarantine rule

Based on advice from the Outbreak Management Team (OMT), the government will soon scale down coronavirus source and contact tracing. Quarantine rules for people who had contact with a Covid-19 patient will also change. These changes are expected to be implemented next week, NOS reports.

Last week, the OMT said that quarantine and source and contact tracing can be adjusted as more and more people are now vaccinated against Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Research by public health institute RIVM showed that vaccinated contacts have a 60 percent smaller chance of getting the virus than non-vaccinated contacts. 

The RIVM and health service GGD, who is in charge of testing and source and contact tracing, are still working on adapting the protocols. But there is a general idea of what changes will be implemented, according to NOS.

Source and contact tracing will now be customized per case. Infected people will still be informed by the GGD, but they will have to notify their close contacts - people who had more than 15 minutes contact with them at a distance of less than 1.5 meters - themselves. If an infected person is unable to do so, the GGD will notify close contacts. The GGD will also take on this duty for other special circumstances, for example if the case is in an area with a low vaccination rate, or the person is infected with a more contagious variant of the coronavirus. Non-close contacts no longer need to be notified.

When it comes to quarantining after contact with an infected person, housemates and close contacts who were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before contact or who recovered from Covid-19 in the past six months will no longer have to quarantine at home. Housemates and close contacts who haven't been fully vaccinated must quarantine at home for 10 days. They can end their quarantine after 5 days, if they test negative at the GGD on that day. 

The advice to get tested if you have symptoms remains in place for everyone.