Dubai: New Covid-19 quarantine rules introduced

The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has said that individuals who come in close contact with Covid-19 patients in Dubai must undergo a mandatory ten days of home quarantine even if their test results are negative.

These individuals must also self-monitor for any respiratory symptoms during their ten-day home quarantine.

The new guidelines apply to any close contact who has interfaced with a Covid-19 infected individual, with the 10-day period beginning from the day they were exposed to the confirmed case.

Individuals who have come in close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case but did not develop any symptoms should also abide by the new quarantine period of 10 days, starting from the day they were exposed to the confirmed case.

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) January 5, 2021

The DHA defines close contacts as any one of the following categories of individuals:

– Those who have been within two metres of a Covid-19 patient for more than 15 minutes.

– Those who have had direct physical contact with a Covid-19 case.

– Those who have provided direct care for patients with Covid-19 and who haven’t used proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

– Those who live in the same household as a Covid-19 patient.

In addition, the DHA has also shortened the the isolation period for certain Covid-19 patients to 10 days from the initial 14-day period.

The shortened isolation period is applicable to infected patients who did not develop any symptoms since testing positive. The reduced isolation period also applies to patients with mild cases of Covid-19 who have fully recovered from their symptoms – without the use of fever-reducing medications, stated official news agency WAM.

The #Dubai Health Authority (DHA) has announced that the isolation period for certain COVID-19 patients and close contact cases has been reduced to 10 days from the initial 14-day period. https://t.co/oldZ4Ae7ea pic.twitter.com/bjueoEbrw9

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) January 5, 2021

As for patients who are hospitalised due to developing moderate, severe or critical Covid-19 symptoms, they can only be discharged when they have tested negative in a PCR test two consecutive times that are 24 hours (or more) apart.

These patient should also be afebrile for more than three days without the use of fever-reducing medications. Also, they must have improved minimal respiratory symptoms and their pulmonary imaging must show significant improvements. The DHA added that these patients should self-isolate for seven days after they are discharged. If symptoms appear again during the two-week period after discharge, they should revisit the clinic for a follow up.

The DHA said that shortening the quarantine period is based on global research on Covid-19, which found that the majority of contact cases were infected within the first 10 days from their last exposure.

In related developments, on Tuesday, the UAE government also announced that employees of all ministries and federal entities are required to undertake a mandatory Covid-19 PCR test every 14 days starting January 17, 2021.

Government employees who have been vaccinated will not be required to undergo the regular testing.

Also, employees who undergo the PCR test must pay for these themselves, unless they furnish a medical certificate stating a condition which prevents them from receiving the vaccine.

Read: Covid-19: UAE government employees to undertake paid PCR test every 14 days