The EU's infections agency is recommending patients with mild cases of COVID-19 can end quarantine as early as four days after the onset of symptoms or testing positive.
In its latest technical report, published on Friday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) presented a series of updates on the ending of quarantine, factoring in the vaccination uptakes as well as the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
In it, the agency outlines how fully vaccinated patients who test positive for the virus may exit quarantine as early as four days after experiencing symptoms or testing positive for the virus.
Malta's quarantine rules presently state that those who are infected must isolate for 10 days if they are fully vaccinated.
According to the ECDC, those with no symptoms can take a first test three days after the first positive test. If this is negative and they continue to not develop any symptoms, they can retest after 24 hours. If this second test also comes back negative, the patient may exit quarantine.
In the case of those with symptoms, the ECDC recommends that the positive patient must not have a fever for 24 hours and symptoms show improvement before being allowed to test. In this case, just as with the asymptomatic patients, a minimum of three days must pass before any testing is carried out.
In cases where testing capabilities are limited, the ECDC is recommending that an infected patient may exit quarantine after one negative result carried out six days after the onset of symptoms.
Self-testing kits, which are still illegal in Malta, are not considered "adequate for ending isolation".
Those who end quarantine as outlined in the latest report must also continue to wear "a well-fitting mask" until what would have been the tenth day of quarantine.
Similar rules apply to those with severe cases of the virus or those considered immunocompromised, although in cases where two negative tests are not obtained, the quarantine period is then longer. For the severe cases, this goes up to between 14 and 20 days while for the immunocompromised, this goes up to 20 days.
Malta's quarantine rules are among the most stringent in the EU, although Health Minister Chris Fearne has said primary contacts, those who are in touch with a positive patient but who then test negative, might soon be able to end their quarantine sooner. These contacts are currently allowed to end quarantine after a week as long as they are fully vaccinated.
He made no mention of changes to the rules for those who are infected with COVID-19.
What about those not fully vaccinated?
The report also lays out scenarios for those who have not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Like the vaccinated, quarantine may be ended after two consecutive negative results from tests carried out 24 hours apart from the third day onwards as long as symptoms have subsided.
For those who opt not to carry out any testing after the initial positive result, a quarantine of 10 days must be followed.
In Malta, those who are not vaccinated, irrespective of their symptoms, must quarantine for 14 days.