Health watchdog recommends no change to coronavirus 14-day self-restriction period

No change should be made to the current 14-day self-restriction period required of close contacts of Covid-19 cases due to an increased risk of transmission of the disease, the State’s health watchdog has advised.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) has advised public health officials the 14-day period in which contacts are asked to restrict their movement should remain.

Using a modelling exercise, it found any testing strategy to reduce the period of restricted movements from 14 days presents an increased risk of transmission. This "may not be acceptable" considering current levels of community transmission in Ireland, it says.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) had asked Hiqa to carry out an evidence synthesis to identify if it supported keeping the 14-day period in which contacts have to restrict their movements.

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The Hiqa review concluded that in the absence of testing, a 14-day period of restriction of movements was likely to capture 95 per cent of people who will become symptomatic.

“Without changes to the current testing strategy, we advised Nphet that the 14-day period of restriction of movements should remain,” according to Dr Máirín Ryan, Hiqa’s director of health technology assessment and deputy chief executive.

“It is essential that people who are exposed or potentially exposed to Covid-19 restrict their movements to minimise community transmission as it has been shown that people with no symptoms can spread the infection.”

The requirement for contacts to restrict their movements is distinct from the more onerous requirement of Covid-19 cases to self-isolate.

At present, close contacts in Ireland are offered testing on the day they are identified, with a second test offered seven days after last exposure to the case. However, contacts are required to continue restricting their movements for the 14-day period even in the event of a negative result.

The study also looked at Ireland’s requirement for anyone travelling here to restrict movements for 14 days. It found this was consistent with current international policy, though some countries apply a 10-day period of self-restriction.