Quarantine – who is affected, how long it lasts, what can and what cannot be done?

From January 25, the seven-day quarantine applies to people who have had contact with an infected person or have been referred for a test for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It also applies to cohabitants of people living in isolation. On February 11, however, the so-called quarantine from contact. The rules for quarantine, however, have not changed. We remind you of the most important of them.

1. From January 25, home quarantine lasts for seven days
2. From February 11, quarantine will no longer apply to people who have had contact with an infected person (this change does not apply to household members)
3. There is still an absolute ban on leaving your home, failure to do so may result in a serious financial penalty
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Quarantine – who does it apply to?

Quarantine is the isolation of a healthy person because of the risk of infection. It is different from isolation, which is the isolation of a COVID-19 patient who has tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Who is quarantined?

1. people who have had contact with people infected with the coronavirus (this will expire on February 11)
2. people living with an infected (isolated) person,
3. people who have been referred for COVID-19 testing by a doctor
4. unvaccinated people who cross the Polish border coming from other countries

Upon arrival at the quarantine facility, install the application «Home quarantine«. Installing it and using it “is a legal obligation for those who are required to be quarantined”.

The rest of the text is below the video.

The following persons are excluded from compulsory quarantine:

1. fully vaccinated against COVID-19,
2. convalescents, i.e. people who suffered from COVID-19, no later than 6 months from the day of obtaining a positive result of the diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2.
3. unvaccinated people returning from abroad who present a negative test for the virus performed no earlier than 48 hours before crossing the border

People who have had contact with a sick person, but have not been informed that they have been quarantined, should not go to work or the store. Such people should stay at home, even if they do not have a quarantine decision yet, and they are doing well. It is recommended that they avoid contact with other people as there is a chance that they will infect others if found to be infected. Where this is not possible, all required personal protective equipment should be used.

Quarantine – information about the inclusion

Information on quarantine is recorded in the IT system of the e-Health Center (EWP system), to which the Police and the Social Insurance Institution have access. The quarantine status can be checked via the Patient Online Account (IKE).

The State Sanitary Inspection does not issue quarantine decisions. The imposition of quarantine by the State Sanitary Inspectorate is documented with an entry in the EWP system.

See also: Vaccinated or healed who has better resistance to COVID-19?

Quarantine – how long does it last?

Until recently, quarantine (concerning people who had contact with an infected person) lasted 10 days. The government decided to shorten it to a week. The new regulations came into force on Tuesday, January 25.

1. What is epidemiological surveillance? How long does it last and who does it apply to?

– We shorten the period of stay in quarantine from 10 to seven days. We use the experience of other countries. Similar solutions have been introduced by France, Belgium, Germany and Greece. It is also in line with the recommendations of European agencies – said Mateusz Morawiecki.

– Many countries have already introduced a quarantine reduction. If we can talk about good points in the context of the Omikron variant, it is undoubtedly the fact that the presence of the pathogen, and therefore the infectivity, although higher, is shorter than in the case of the Delta or Alpha variants. Hence, the decision to shorten quarantine and isolation is somewhat rational – commented on this decision by prof. Andrzej Fal in an interview with Medonet.

How long is the quarantine?

1. in people who are quarantined after being referred for a test— lasts 7 days 
2. in people who are quarantined after contact with an infected person (valid only until February 11) – lasts 7 days 
3. family members of people infected with COVID-19 apply until their isolation is completed (valid from February 15)
4. after the return of unvaccinated people from the Member States of the European Union, from the Schengen area and from Turkey – takes 7 days
5. after returning from outside the European Union, from outside the Schengen area and from outside Turkey – lasts 7 days
6. in people who provide services to patients suffering from COVID19 (e.g. doctors, nurses) and soldiers, officers of the Police, Border Guard, State Fire Service or the State Protection Service – lasts 5 days (valid from February 2)

In the case of people who have been quarantined as a result of a test referral, it ends when a negative result is obtained (if the result is positive, the patient goes into isolation).

See also: The most dangerous variants of COVID-19. How many are there?

Quarantine – what cannot be done?

The quarantine rules remain the same, and the same applies from the beginning of the pandemic. According to information on government websites, you cannot leave your home during quarantine. This also applies to walks with the dog, going to the nearest store or visiting a doctor.

In the event of deterioration of health, the doctor can be contacted through teleportation. Neighbors, family or friends can help with shopping and leave the purchased items at home, without contacting the person staying at home in quarantine. Local Social Welfare Centers, listed on government websites, can also help you shop.

1. Are we all doomed to be infected with Omicron? WHO responds

As reported by the government’s quarantine website, “the police, as part of patrols, visit people who are quarantined and check whether they remain in their place of residence. The regulations provide for the possibility of imposing a financial penalty of up to PLN 30. PLN on those people who do not comply with quarantine«.

Please note that you cannot change the place of the quarantine while it is in progress, as it involves breaking the quarantine (leaving the place of the reported quarantine). In the case of an incorrectly entered address, it should be reported to the state poviat sanitary inspector.

1. Karolina Opolska from TvoiLokony suffers from COVID-19 and reports it in videos on an ongoing basis. What to do with dogs when stuck in a house in isolation or quarantine? See:

Quarantine – when is it possible to leave the house?

There are, however, exceptional situations where you can leave your home while you are in quarantine. It is suspended for the duration of the testto which we were referred by a primary or night care physician (this applies to the way to the smear site and return home, without dealing with other matters at that time). Suspension of quarantine also takes place when it turns out that the appropriate benefit cannot be obtained through teleportation and an in-house visit to the doctor is necessary.

In these situations, there is no obligation to report to the Sanepid.

Quarantine and negative test result

If the quarantine was imposed due to a referral for the test and the test result is negative, it means that the test person does not have the corona virus, and therefore does not need to remain in quarantine. However, it should keep the existing precautionary and hygiene measures.

However, it should be borne in mind that if the quarantine was imposed due to contact with an infected person or it is imposed by the health care center for other reasons, then you are not exempt from quarantine, even if you have a negative test result.

Quarantine – cash benefits

The Social Insurance Institution also has access to quarantine information in the EWP system and makes it available to employers on the PUE ZUS profile. The basis for the payment of sickness benefit (sick pay or sickness benefit) for the period of absence from work due to compulsory quarantine is information in the system. The State Sanitary Inspection, in the case of persons referred to quarantine, has the right to a sickness benefit (remuneration for the duration of sickness or sickness benefit), and this includes persons covered by sickness insurance, e.g. in connection with employment under an employment contract, contract of mandate or business.

It is very important that an insured person quarantined due to coronavirus infection of a person with whom he or she lives or runs a shared household, with whom the State Sanitary Inspection has not contacted, submits a declaration of the necessity to undergo quarantine, thanks to which benefits will be paid.

In the case of an insured person who applies for care allowance in connection with the care of a child or other family member staying in quarantine or under isolation at home, the insured person should submit a declaration of the need for such care.

Important!

The entity that pays sickness or care benefits (employer or ZUS) may apply to the body of the State Sanitary Inspection for confirmation of the information contained in the declarations.

Also read:

1. Prices in private doctor’s offices
2. The infection record is behind us. What’s next? How long will the fifth wave last?
3. Black spots on the map of Poland. They show where it is worst
4. Prof. Thrust: if a large percentage of Poles are ill, it may paralyze social life

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