The head of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), Krunoslav Capak said on Saturday, that the authorities were considering the possibility of shortening the quarantine period for the vaccinated against coronavirus to seven days and the isolation for the sick to five days.

The recommendations will soon be formulated and published by the institute.

Capak said the changes were being mulled after analysing the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 that is now prevailing in Europe.

Given what we currently know about COVID-19 and the Omicron variant that causes milder symptoms particularly in the cases of vaccinated patients, and that incubation also lasts shorter than in the previous variants,, we are considering making the self-isolation and isolation for the sick shorter, he told a news conference.

On Friday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) issued guidelines for modifying isolation periods to address pressures on healthcare systems and/or societal functioning.

Capak said that the the HZJZ would take account of those guidelines.

He underscored that one should be without symptoms for 24 hours and produce a negative test result before ending the isolation period.

Capak explained that the COVID protocols in effect for the unvaccinated would not be changed.