Japan Shortens COVID-19 Close Contact Quarantine Period from 10 Days to 7 Days

Changes in Global Quarantine Standards with Omicron Becoming the Dominant Variant

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Japan is reducing the quarantine period for people who have been in close contact with COVID-19 infected individuals from the existing 10 days to 7 days.

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 28th, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has decided to shorten the quarantine period and is currently consulting with related ministries on the specific schedule. Previously, when Omicron became the dominant variant, the Japanese government shortened the quarantine period from 14 days to 10 days starting in mid-month.

This additional reduction decision reflects internal and external concerns that the existing quarantine system makes it difficult to maintain social functions due to the rapid increase in Omicron variant infections.

As of the previous day, Japan's new confirmed cases approached 79,000, marking the highest record for the third consecutive day.

According to analysis by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan, the probability of close contacts developing symptoms drops below 1% after 10 days, but remains relatively high at about 5% after 7 days.

The Japanese government plans to further shorten the quarantine period by one day for essential personnel maintaining social functions, such as delivery workers, allowing them to be released from quarantine on the 5th day if a negative test is confirmed, with the shortest quarantine release recognized on the 6th day if negative.

Earlier, in the United States, from late last month, healthcare workers who are asymptomatic but infected can return to work after 7 days if a negative test is confirmed. In the United Kingdom, close contacts who have completed necessary vaccinations or are under 18 years old are not required to quarantine, and Israel abolished home quarantine for close contacts under 18 years old from the 27th, and does not enforce quarantine for vaccinated adults even if they are close contacts.

Turkey has also exempted vaccinated close contacts from quarantine this year, and Singapore has not required quarantine for close contacts even before the Omicron outbreak.

In Hong Kong, where quarantine measures are relatively strict, the hotel quarantine period for travelers will be shortened from 21 days to 14 days starting from the 5th of next month.