Starting January 13, the quarantine time that COVID-19 patients must comply with will be reduced from 14 to 10 days in Lima Metropolitan Area and Callao region, given the increase in Omicron variant cases,
reported on Wednesday.
The government official indicated that this measure was discussed and agreed upon during the National Health Council meeting held last Tuesday.
Minister Cevallos specified that a similar proposal is being evaluated in the rest of the country, depending on how Omicron variant cases increase. There, the presence of the Delta variant is quite significant.
He clarified that in the case of Lima and Callao the reduction of isolation time can be fulfilled as long as there is no type of complication in the evolution of the disease.
Furthermore, the physician reported that the protocol for vaccination against COVID-19 for children aged 5-11 will be published today.
"We already have the protocol; it is ready, we discussed it at the National Health Council, and I understand that it should be published on the current day," he pointed out.
Moreover, Minister Cevallos ruled out that the departure of Mario Carhuapoma from the Executive-Presidency of the
Social Health Insurance System (EsSalud) might affect the development of the institution's strategy to face the pandemic.
"The social security (system) has already been designated a strategy, which we have discussed with the Health Ministry. So, we hope that the objectives are maintained," he noted.
Minister Francke
"He is obviously under isolation these days, which are necessary to avoid any type of contagion (to other people). In case he had had any contact with staff at the (Government) Palace, each of them will have to quickly undergo a molecular test (...)," Cevallos indicated.