Spain reduces Covid quarantine from 10 to 7 days

Spain will shorten the mandatory isolation period for people who test positive for Covid-19 from 10 to seven days, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The move follows a similar decision in the United States as a surge of infections sparks fears that staff shortages will disrupt the economy.

Spain’s public health commission, made up of the health ministry and the country’s regions, “unanimously” agreed to adopt the measure at a meeting on Wednesday, the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier on Wednesday Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the country needed to strike “a balance” between public health, mental health and economic growth.

Spain on Tuesday confirmed a record 99,671 new infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the 14-day infection rate to 1,360 cases per 100,000 residents, nearly twice the level from a week earlier.

US health authorities on Monday the shortened recommended times for which people should isolate after a positive test from 10 to five days, so long as they do not have symptoms and continue to wear a mask.

The move was praised by airlines and the hospitality industry, but public health experts criticised the decision to omit a requirement for a negative Covid test.

Spain has been hard hit by the pandemic, recording over 89,000 deaths and just over 6.0 million infections since it started.