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Russian consumer health watchdog scraps isolation rules for contacts of people with Covid

Previously, the isolation period for those who had contacted Covid patients was 14 days. At the end of January, it was shortened to seven days

MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. Russia’s Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare has cancelled the requirements of mandatory 14-day isolation after contact with someone with Covid, according to the watchdog’s resolution posted on the official online portal of legal information on Saturday.

The document invalidates the previous epidemiological rule on the prevention of the coronavirus infection as of May 22, 2020, which required those who had been in contact with Covid patients to isolate for at least 14 days since their last contact.

Previously, the isolation period for those who had contacted Covid patients was 14 days. At the end of January, it was shortened to seven days.

On February 3, Anna Popova, the head of the consumer health watchdog, said the cancellation of isolation for such people was under consideration, as the restrictions were no longer needed due to the characteristics of the predominant Omicron variant. Popova pointed out that "it is a specific feature of the epidemic process, intrinsic to Omicron, which is known for rapid transmission and "a huge number of asymptomatic carriers in proportion." However, Popova added that a different epidemiological tactic could be used with another Covid variant.