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ARCHIVED - The pandemic enters into a new relaxed monitoring phase in Spain
People with mild cases of Covid will no longer have to quarantine in Spain
On Monday March 28, Spain enters into its new ‘Surveillance and Control Strategy against Covid-19’, which is by far the most relaxed phase the country has experienced since the coronavirus pandemic emerged just over two years ago. The Covid experts have agreed that the time is right to begin treating Covid more like endemic illnesses such as the flu and to remove the exhaustive monitoring systems currently in place.
The new strategy focuses surveillance on people and areas of greater vulnerability and Covid cases in seriously ill people, those over the age of 60, immunosupressed patients and pregnant women will still be closely monitored.
Quarantine scrapped for mild Covid cases
From Monday, asymptomatic patients, or those with only mild symptoms will no longer have to self-isolate in Spain, although the Ministry of Health still recommends that anyone who has coronavirus continues to exercise “extreme precautions and reduce social interactions as much as possible, constantly using the mask and maintaining adequate hand hygiene during the 10 days after the onset of symptoms or diagnosis in the case of asymptomatic people”.
Health authorities also recommend that vulnerable people and mass events be avoided, and that people with mild Covid work from home wherever possible.
However, Covid-positive adults can continue to work and children with only mild cases can go to school.
From now on, people who work in vulnerable areas, such as nursing homes, hospitals, health centres, day centres for the elderly or people with disabilities etc. will have to stay home during the first five days from the onset of symptoms or from the date of diagnosis in the case of asymptomatic people.
The protocol stipulates that these staff “will need a negative antigen test to be able to rejoin their workplace.”
Hospitalised Covid-positive patients must also be isolated during their admission until a negative result is returned.
All positive patients are still obliged to inform their close contacts of their diagnosis, but close contacts no longer have to quarantine, regardless of the vaccination status.
No tests for people with mild symptoms
Starting Monday, health centres will no longer perform diagnostic tests on the general public if they present with mild symptoms; rather, tests will only be carried out by professionals on the vulnerable groups described above.
However, if a case worsens with a fever above 38ºC for more than three days or with difficulty breathing, the health services should be contacted for advice.
Can the new strategy be reversed?
Yes. The Public Health Commission has agreed to relax the Covid control measures based on the current positive evolution of the pandemic, with just 3.62% of hospital beds now occupied by coronavirus patients (5.59% in ICUs).
According to the latest coronavirus report in Spain published by the Ministry this Friday, the accumulated incidence, however, rose 25 points since Tuesday and stands at 461 cases per 100,000 inhabitants at 14 days and 227 cases at seven days.
It has been agreed that this new phase “will remain in force as long as there is no significant change in the trend that indicates an uncontrolled circulation of SARS-CoV-2 or a change in the epidemiological situation that requires re-establishing surveillance and control measures at the proposal of the Report on Alerts and Preparedness and Response Plans”.
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