The Ministry of Health earlier today started a system which would allow asymptomatic people in quarantine at testing centres and approved accomodation facilities to be released.
The system is meant to facilitate locals who returned home earlier this month, as well as visitors who are on island but are planning to leave, and require a negative PCR COVID-19 test to re-enter their native countries.
“This process will start today with medical teams being deployed to quarantine facilities to assess these persons on a case by case basis,” Government’s communications team said in a statement released to the media moments ago.
“After assessment by medical professionals, persons in quarantine who meet the criteria for release will be issued with a Certificate of Release from the Chief Medical Officer, and allowed to go,” public health officials added.
The first tranche of releases will apply to people who are at, or have passed 14 days in quarantine. In a second tranche of releases which will apply to those in quarantine between 10 and 13 days, the rapid antigen test will be used as part of the assessment process.
“Given varying international rules for entry by travellers, persons leaving quarantine and seeking to travel right away whose country requires a PCR test will have the facilitation of that test coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism,” the statement added.
The new system is sure to ease a massive backlog of people who have been in quarantine, many of them for almost two weeks, while waiting on second test results.
The backlog would have prevented the Best-Dos Santos laboratory from releasing COVID-19 test results in a timely manner. (BA/PR)
