Close contacts breaking isolation, health ministry decries

The health ministry announced Friday that it has come to its attention that close contacts of confirmed coronavirus cases broke their two-week self-isolation and flouted protocols in place to safeguard public health.

According to the ministry, the protocol, uploaded onto its website and sent via sms to all close contacts of known cases, requires contacts to remain isolated at home for 14 days, and to not accept visitors.

In the recent period, the health ministry said, it has become aware of incidents which cause intense concern, calling on the public to follow instructions and strictly abide by protocols in order to avoid any potential setbacks.

The ministry highlighted that if a person in isolation takes the test prior to the passing of two weeks and the test comes back negative, that person is not licensed to terminate their isolation, but must remain isolated for the full two weeks.

The health ministry also issued a renewed desperate call for all contacts of known cases to come forward by calling 1412 in order to allow the contact tracing team to take the necessary procedures.