New Covid-19 test in the works, quarantine could be shortened

Thailand’s mandatory quarantine for those entering the country could be reduced from 14 days to 10 days or even less if new Covid-19 testing kits are reliable, according to Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

The new Covid-19 testing kits are in the process of being developed by the Public Health Ministry. Nation Thailand didn’t report on many details about the test, but say it doesn’t require blood to be drawn and isn’t a swab test. It should take about 3 to 5 days to produce an accurate result.

The ministry has been talking about cutting the quarantine period in half, down to 7 days, for tourists they say are at a “low-risk” of spreading the virus. But changes must be made to the quarantine system to make sure shortening the isolation period doesn’t lead to any new transmissions, according to the deputy director-general of the ministry’s Department of Disease Control, Tanarak Plipat.

“7 day quarantine is possible in the case of areas with very low infections. But it doesn’t mean that we will no longer have additional controls. If we do it, we must redesign the quarantine system, together with measures to monitor those people to make sure the country is safe from the outbreak.”

SOURCE: Nation Thailand