Home quarantine for coronavirus infection can be subjected to any he althy person suspected of being infected but who has no symptoms yet. People coming to Poland from abroad may also be referred to quarantine. What is home quarantine and who exactly should be quarantined? How long is the quarantine, what are the pen alties for breaking the quarantine? Who is not in quarantine?

Home quarantinein accordance with the Act on preventing and combating infectious diseases in humans of December 5, 2008 - it is "the isolation of a he althy person who was exposed to infection in order to prevent the spread of diseases that are particularly dangerous and highly infectious.

Home quarantine is prophylactic. According to the regulations, it automatically covers both people who have been tested for the coronavirus and those who live under the same roof with an infected person. Some people coming to Poland from abroad are also quarantined.

Home quarantine - changes from February 23, 2022

The amendment to the regulation, which was published in the Journal of Laws on February 22, 2022 and entered into force on February 23, 2022, includes a number of changes regarding the quarantine. Under the new regulations, the following are exempt from the quarantine obligation after crossing the border:

  • students studying in Poland or in a neighboring country and their guardians who cross the border with students to enable this learning
  • children covered by pre-school education in Poland or in the neighboring country and their guardians who cross the border with their children to enable this education
  • students, participants of postgraduate studies, specialist education
  • PhD students studying in Poland or in a neighboring country
  • people conducting research activity
  • persons who were issued with a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 with a vaccine authorized for marketing in the European Union.

Home quarantine: when is it necessary?

Home quarantine can be applied to any he althy person who may have been exposed to the virus. It may be recommended by the inspector of the poviat sanitary and epidemiological station on the basis ofinterview.

Currently, according to the government regulation, the quarantine applies to people who:

  • cross the border of the Republic of Poland, which is the external border of the European Union,
  • have come into contact with people infected (or potentially infected) with the coronavirus
  • live with someone diagnosed with coronavirus
  • were directed for a test towards SARS-CoV-2

The list of people who are not subject to compulsory quarantine when crossing the EU's external border is specified in separate provisions of the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of August 7, 2022 on the establishment of certain restrictions, orders and bans in connection with an epidemic. According to the information that can be found on the GIS website, the following are released from quarantine after crossing the Polish border:

  • nationals of European Union member states, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states - parties to the agreement on the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation, and their spouses and children;
  • passengers of an aircraft within the meaning of Art. 2 point 1 of the Act of July 3, 2002. - Aviation law, performing an international flight from an airport located in the territory of a country not covered by air traffic bans specified in the regulations issued on the basis of art. 119 paragraph. 2 of the Act of 3 July 2002 - Aviation Law, with the exception of passengers of an aircraft performing an international flight from an airport located in the territory of the Republic of Belarus or Ukraine.
  • all students studying in Poland, participants of postgraduate studies and specialist education, as well as doctoral students and all scientists conducting scientific activity in our country.
  • foreigners who are spouses or children of Polish citizens or remain under their permanent care.

Home quarantine - changes from October 24, 2022

On October 23, 2022, an ordinance of October 23, 2022 was published in the Journal of Laws, amending the ordinance on the establishment of certain restrictions, orders and bans in connection with the outbreak of an epidemic. The changes, effective from October 24, also included the quarantine.

According to them, from October 24, 2022, only people who have had direct contact with the infected must be inin quarantine.As explained in the explanatory memorandum to the regulation:

"In the case of people who are currently quarantined, not because they have come into contact with a sick or infected person (i.e. they have not had contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus source), but only because they live together with peoplehe althy people who have been quarantined (due to such contact), it is possible to limit oneself to epidemiological supervision over these people without quarantining them ".

As explained, such a situation applies, for example, to the parents of children who are in home quarantine due to the child's contact with an infected or sick student at school, but have not had contact with a sick or infected student themselves. "In the event that a student who is in quarantine shows symptoms of disease - he or she is tested for SARS-CoV-2, and if the result is positive, the quarantine of the student is transformed into isolation, and the parents and other family members living together are quarantined."

Another significant change isreleasing from quarantine a person "who ended hospitalization, isolation or isolation at home due to the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection".

As we read in the justification of the regulation: "Taking into account the low probability that people who were sick with the COVID-19 disease and recovered from this disease again, the draft stipulates that the quarantine obligation referred to in Article 34 (2) of the Act of 5 December 2008 on the prevention and combating of infections and infectious diseases in humans, does not apply to a person who has ended hospitalization, isolation or isolation at home due to infection with SARS - CoV-2 ".

Home quarantine must also be subject to a person referred for laboratory diagnosis for SARS-CoV-2 . The ban on leaving the quarantine or isolation facility at home is suspended for the duration of going to the place of collecting biological material for laboratory diagnostics and returning to the place of quarantine or isolation at home.

Home quarantine - rules

New quarantine and isolation rules apply from October 24, 2022. According to them, quarantine is the isolation of a he althy person due to exposure to infection, while isolation - is the isolation of a person whose first SARS-CoV-2 test result is positive.

What is the home quarantine?

Home quarantine, both imposed by the sanitary inspection and for people crossing the border, lasts 10 days - asymptomatic people are not tested for coronavirus.

Quarantine takes place in your own home, and if this is not possible, the he alth and safety department may refer you to a designated center.

While in quarantine:

  • cannotchange places of stay
  • you are not allowed to leave the house or receive guests
  • it is forbidden to walk the dog or go shopping
  • download and install the "Home Quarantine" application, which will monitor whether you comply with the quarantine rules, but will also help in assessing your he alth condition or contacting, for example, the local social welfare center that can provide medicines or food products. People referred to quarantine receive an SMS informing about the possibility of downloading and installing the application - it can be downloaded from Google Play or the App Store.
  • if you have contact with people after contact with an infected person, they are also quarantined. If you need to contact one of the household members, keep a distance of 1.5 m.
  • you need to monitor your he alth - take your temperature, pay attention to your well-being. In the event of disturbing symptoms, use the teleportation of the he alth care physician.
  • the police will check whether you comply with the quarantine and do not leave your home. Failure to comply with its rules may result in a fine of up to PLN 30,000. PLN.
  • Sanepid does not issue a quarantine certificate - everything is monitored electronically.

How long does home quarantine last?

The duration of home quarantine is defined by regulations and recommendations, incl. Chief Sanitary Inspector. In the case of the coronavirus, home quarantine should last 10 days. If during this time symptoms of COVID-19 infection do not appear, you can resume your daily duties.

In justified cases, the sanitary inspector may decide to shorten the quarantine or even release it from the obligation to hold it.

Home quarantine and work certificate - changes

As informed by the Ministry of He alth, a person in quarantine or isolation does not have to inform the employer about it - all formalities will be handled by the Social Insurance Institution.

ℹ️ Are you in quarantine or home isolation❓? You do not need to deliver Sanepid's decisions to @zus_pl or your employer? ✅ZUS will obtain the information itself and pass it on to your employer❗️ pic.twitter.com/aUAQgD3zq9- Ministry of He alth (@MZ_GOV_PL) November 3, 2022

Category:

Infectious diseases