Sofia, January 11 (BTA) - Health Minister Asena Serbezova has issued an order, effective January 11, which reduces the mandatory isolation period for people infected with COVID-19 from 14 to 10 days. The quarantine time starts on the date the person tests positive for the virus. Those who have been in contact with someone infected with COVID will now be quarantined for 7, instead of 10 days, which will be counted from the day of their last contact with the infected person, the Health Ministry reported here on Tuesday.

The head of the relevant regional health inspectorate can cancel the quarantine period of contact persons if the latter have a booster vaccine dose against COVID-19 and if the contact person provides a negative PCR test result via e-mail. The test has to be administered no earlier than 72 hours after the person was initially put in quarantine, which will then be lifted within 24 hours.

The Health Minister's order also lifts the mandatory 14-day isolation period for patients discharged from hospital.

The quarantine and isolation periods currently in effect will remain effective until they expire, as initially prescribed. RY/MY