DOH plans to shorten quarantine of fully vaccinated health workers

The Department of Health (DOH) intends to shorten the quarantine period of health workers who are fully vaccinated but exposed to COVID-19.

According to Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire, the quarantine period of vaccinated health workers may be shortened to 7 days.

“Maaring 7 araw basta mayroon silang 5th-day testing at sila’y negatibo. Ito’y fina-finalize pa po,” said Vergeire.

This is in the face of the continuing shortage of health workers in private and public hospitals as they contract COVID-19 or are exposed to people who are positive for the disease.

Among those experiencing a shortage of health workers in the Philippine General Hospital (PGH), with 80 medical frontliners who were recorded with COVID-19 in mid-August.

“Most of our health care workers are vaccinated. Buti na lang at hindi sila malulubha kaya lang… kailangan din nila ng quarantine. ‘Yan po ay nakakapilay sa ating frontliners,” said PGH spokesperson Dr. Jonas Del Rosario.

PGH also announced on Tuesday that new patients would not be admitted to its emergency room due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the hospital.

DOH plans to shorten quarantine of fully vaccinated health workers

According to the hospital, they do not want to compromise the quality of service because of the number of patients they have to serve.

“Malalagay lang sa peligro ang kapakanan ng mga pasyente, at pati na rin ang aming mga kawani kung ito (dami ng mga pasyente) ay hahayaan naming madagdagan pa,” said PGH.

According to Del Rosario, the hospital currently has 320 COVID-19 patients, the highest number in 16 months.

Half of the patients were considered severe or critical, and most were not vaccinated.

“Kung titingnan mo ‘yung daily admissions namin, pataas pa eh. ‘Di pa namin nakikita ‘yong at least ‘yong pag-plateau or slowing down,” said Del Rosario.

According to the DOH, emergency hiring for additional health care workers in hospitals will continue.

According to the agency’s latest data, 23,131 health care workers have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. A total of 22,597 were recovered, or more than 97.7 percent, while 103 died.