Vaccinated care personnel can continue to work after a high-risk Covid-19 contact pending a negative test result to avoid jeopardising the continuity of care.
In exceptional cases and under certain conditions – such as the healthcare worker being asymptomatic as well as fully vaccinated – they can continue to work after taking the first coronavirus test before receiving a negative result, Belgium's Risk Management Group (RMG) decided on Wednesday evening.
"The decision not to follow the quarantine or isolation measure should never be made by the healthcare worker themselves. In health care institutions the decision must be taken by the management together with the occupational physician," a press release stated.
Meanwhile, for those in primary care and home care, the decision must be taken by the occupational physician or in consultation with the guardian.
This decision comes in the wake of the worsening condition being monitored in hospitals in Belgium, as the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital increased to almost 2,000, while there are 340 people being treated in intensive care units as a result of the virus.
Measures and conditions
If a quarantine exemption is applied, the healthcare worker in question must keep contact with other people and staff "to a strict minimum," must avoid using public transport, and always wear (surgical) face masks in the correct way at the workplace.
The person must be fully vaccinated, meaning there must be two weeks after the last recommended dose – i.e. two weeks after the first dose for the Johnson&Johnson Covid-19 vaccine or two weeks after the second dose for all other vaccines.
Other conditions also include that the caregiver cannot live under the same roof as the person that infected them, while there must be no other alternatives, meaning the presence of the caregiver is necessary for a minimum standard of care.
"In extreme cases, healthcare workers who tested positive but are asymptomatic can be deployed in covid departments during their isolation period. There are also conditions for this," the press release read.
Meanwhile, Sciensano stressed that cleaning staff, kitchen staff and other logistics services in healthcare are not covered by this exception, which is valid for four weeks (until 1 December) and will be evaluated following this period.
