HPA stops issuing quarantine release documents

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) will no longer be providing release documents for individuals in quarantine due to COVID-19, the agency has announced. 

In a statement issued today, the HPA said that the isolation documents issued upon testing positive for the virus indicated the period for isolation which would come to an end once completed. 

The HPA said that there were varying periods of isolation for different people to the severity of the virus. The statement read that if symptoms such as coughing, fever, and breathing difficulties persisted after the completion of the 14-days quarantine, the individual is to remain in quarantine for a further seven days. 

The HPA statement also read that if the individual is in a facility, their isolation period would exceed the 14-day period and would depend on the advice of doctors. 

Individuals isolating at home are requested to receive medical care and advice if symptoms of the virus are observed. 

The HPA is stopping the issuance of release documents amid increased complaints about delays in receiving documents from the agency related to positive cases.