KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Individuals above the age of 18, who have taken their Covid-19 booster vaccination, will no longer be required to undergo a Home Surveillance Order (HSO) if they don’t show any symptoms of the disease after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 positive case.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today announced the new protocol, which comes into effect on March 1, saying that the decision was made after studying data on Omicron.

"However, these close contacts will still have to take a self Covid-19 rapid test kit (RTK) test, on the first and third day after coming into contact with the Covid-19 positive case,” he said during a press conference live-streamed online today.

Khairy said those who test negative on both days may proceed with their activities as usual.

"If they are positive, then, of course, they will have to report the matter to the MySejahtera app and undergo the isolation period,” he added.

Previously, those with booster shots were required to go through five days of quarantine, regardless of their symptoms or lack thereof.

For those vaccinated but who have not received their booster dose, quarantine was still required even if they were asymptomatic, but the period has been shortened to five days from seven previously.

The unvaccinated or partially vaccinated must quarantine for seven days if they come in close contact with Covid-19 patients, down from 10 days, even if asymptomatic.

The Health Ministry has increasingly cut quarantine requirements for Covid-19 close contacts, most recently exempting healthcare workers from isolating if they were asymptomatic after becoming a close contact.