The Ministry of Public Health on Monday defended a reduction of quarantine days from seven to five for asymptomatic Covid-19 patients, saying it was based on academic data and reviewed by relevant parties.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the new guideline was not decided by a single individual, but supported by academic data and reviewed by several committees including the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
The Department of Medical Services recently revised the guidelines to allow asymptomatic patients to isolate for only five days and monitor their health for another five days, known as a 5+5 policy.
The revised policy was criticised by Dr Thira Woratanarat, a lecturer at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Medicine, who said five days were not enough to curb transmission of the coronavirus and the policy was not based on academic principles.
Mr Anutin said the 5+5 policy was considered a legitimate resolution and pointed out that the guidelines have been revised to reflect the severity of symptoms and the capacity of the public health system. Earlier, asymptomatic Covid-19 patients were advised to self-isolate for seven days and observe their health over the three following days.
Mr Anutin also said some provinces faced a small wave of virus infections, adding that the country had adequate resources to handle such outbreaks.
Public Health Ministry spokesman Rungruang Kitpati on Monday insisted the 5+5 policy had been reviewed by specialists adding that it would create a balance between disease control and people's livelihood. "We adopted the 14-day quarantine when the outbreak began, but cut back the quarantine period when the severity of symptoms eased and a large number of people were vaccinated," Dr Rungruang said.
