COVID-19: WHO warns countries against reducing quarantine period as cases surge

The European unit of the World Health Organization, on September 17, warned countries against shortening their quarantine period stating that COVID-19 is witnessing an “alarming rate of transmission in Europe”. While WHO has repeatedly asserted that it won’t change its two-week quarantine rule, there are many nations that have lessened the number of days in isolation.

In France, a person is required to self isolate for just seven days while in countries like the United Kingdom and Ireland, the quarantine days have been reduced to 10. However, WHO's regional director for Europe Hans Kluge, speaking at an online press conference from Copenhagen said that the number of coronavirus cases seen in September "should serve as a wake-up call for all of us." Although he accepted that the increased numbers reflect more comprehensive testing, it also proved that there was an alarming rate of transmission across the region.

'Quarantine for 14 days' 

As per the latest tally by US-based John Hopkins University, the European continent has reported a total of 4,238,386  positive cases and 214,531 fatalities till now. Meanwhile, stressing upon 14 days quarantine period,  Emergency officer Catherine Smallwood said that it was based on science. “Our quarantine recommendation of 14 days has been based on our understanding of the incubation period and transmission of the disease. We would only revise that on the basis of a change of our understanding of the science," she told the conference.

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This comes as the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged EU members to build a stronger health union, stressing that people were “still suffering”. Delivering her first annual State of the European Union address, Von der Leyen said that they must continue to handle this pandemic with extreme care, responsibility and unity. “For me, it is crystal clear – we need to build a stronger European Health Union. And to start making this a reality, we must now draw the first lessons from the health crisis,” she added.

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