South Africa Recalls New Isolation and Quarantine Rules

A woman wearing a protective face mask against COVID-19 and a plastic bag on her head to protect from the rain looks on at Tsomo, a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, on Dec. 2, 2021. Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

JOHANNESBURG—South Africa has recalled rules that no longer required people without symptoms of COVID-19 to isolate or test if they have been in contact with a positive case, the government announced on Tuesday, saying an amended circular will be re-issued.

Last week the health ministry said that asymptomatic individuals who had been in contact with a case of COVID-19 no longer had to isolate but should monitor for symptoms for 5–7 days and avoid attending large gatherings.