iAfrica

Be Smart About South Africa

Contact Tracing Back On The Cards

Gauteng healthcare workers screening Alexandra residents for coronavirus (COVID-19) on 31 March 2020 following the roll out of massive community screenings and testing programmes by the provincial executive council. Picture: Ahmed Kajee/EWN.

The Department of Health is recalling its circular on revised contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation protocols.

Released last week the circular put an end to all contact tracing unless symptoms developed.

It also did away with quarantine for contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The department defended the circular saying it was science-based and pointing out that most people had been vaccinated with at least one dose and had developed some immunity.

Scientists welcomed the announcement that these procedures would be scrapped, saying that they weren’t viable in the current economic climate.

A new circular will be re-issued once all additional inputs and comments have been considered.

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