Skopje, 26 January 2022 (MIA) – North Macedonia’s Government decided to cut the COVID-19 isolation period from 10 to 7 days, following Tuesday’s recommendation of the Crisis HQ based on a proposal of the Commission for Infectious Diseases due to milder symptoms of the Omicron variant. The decision applies to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and people who are close contacts, the Government said in a press release on Wednesday. “Under these recommendations, people who have tested positive for COVID-19 (by running a PCR test or a Rapid Antigen Test), and have not developed symptoms of the disease, i.e. are asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, are to isolate at home for seven days as from the day of testing. After the isolation period ends, three additional days are required to strictly observe personal protection measures (wearing a protective N95/FFP2 mask when staying indoors with other people or outdoors when it is not possible to keep 2 meter distance, frequent hand disinfection, avoiding group gatherings),” reads the press release. In line with the Government’s decision, people who have tested positive for COVID-19 (by running a PCR test or a Rapid Antigen Test), and have developed symptoms of the disease are to be in isolation for seven days as from the day of testing and three additional days if there are no fever symptoms. In addition, people who are COVID-19 close contacts are to self-isolate at home for seven days as from the day of the last contact with a COVID-19 positive person. After the self-isolation period ends, three additional days are required to strictly observe personal protection measures. Under the decision, exemptions from the self-isolation measure should include people who are fully vaccinated or boosted, with no more than six months after their last vaccine dose; and people who have recovered from COVID-19, with no more than six months after testing positive. People who are close contacts, but exempted from self-isolation due to vaccination or recovery, must observe personal protection measures for ten days as from the day of the last contact. The decision to cut the COVID-19 isolation period came after a recommendation of the Crisis HQ to the Government upon a proposal of the Commission for Infectious Diseases due to milder symptoms of the Omicron variant. Earlier on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said that the country registered 2,019 new COVID-19 infections after 6,119 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, as well as 19 deaths and 973 recoveries.