UAE updates quarantine and release procedures for COVID-19 cases

The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) has updated the guidelines for the discharge and de-isolation of people with COVID-19, or their contacts.

Patients who've been home quarantined, can be released between 10 and 20 days since the onset of symptoms.

That's if they've been symptom-free without fever-reducing medication for at least 48 hours, and any respiratory issues have been cleared or reduced to mild.

They must also get two negative respiratory specimens tests within 24 hours of each other.

A 10-day quarantine will apply to asymptomatic cases and those with mild and moderate symptoms. In fact, the latter must be fever-free for 24 to 48 hours without medication and show significant improvement in respiratory symptoms before they are given the all-clear.

NCEMA has also defined people who fall under the "first contact" category and their quarantine protocols.

Anyone who has interacted with COVID-19 patients two days before they showed symptoms or up to 14 days after they tested positive, or those who've been within 2 metres of a positive case for 15 minutes are termed "first contacts". That's not all. Those who've been in direct physical contact with a positive case, or living in the same house as a patient, or treating patients without proper personal protective equipment also fall within this category.

According to the guidelines, they should self-monitor for any respiratory symptoms for 14 days, even if their results are negative. They must also follow all the quarantine rules if they start showing any symptoms and test again.

In addition, these rules apply to "first contacts" who have been vaccinated.