Why the US decided to reduce the quarantine for asymptomatic coronavirus to 5 days

The government of U.S has limited the duration of quarantines in the hope of reducing absenteeism in the face of the exponential increase in cases of coronavirus covid-19, which forces the suspension of flights, the closure of restaurants and the cancellation of shows, a measure that the economic world welcomed in a different way.

The initiative has been well received by companies, in particular the airlines and restaurant owners, but it has been highly criticized by unions, who fear increased pressure on workers to return to their jobs.

According to economists, the measure should have a marginal impact on the country’s activity in general.

“I think it can help us because it is difficult to find” workforce, says Dimitri Fetokakis, owner in Houston, Texas, of three restaurants that employ about 120 people. “We must continue to live, we must continue to run our businesses,” he told AFP.

Fatigue in the face of the pandemic

Health authorities halved the recommended quarantine time for people positive by covid-19, from ten to five days for asymptomatic people and from 14 to five for the cases of contact with the unvaccinated.

Most infections occur in the two days before and three after the onset of symptoms, justified the authorities, who must strike a delicate balance between protecting health and economic activity.

Delta Airline, which had publicly called for the change, welcomed the Joe Biden administration’s decision.

It allows “more flexibility to organize the schedules of crews and employees during the period of the holidays of end of year, particularly active”.

Thousands of flights have had to be canceled in recent days around the world due to the meteoric growth of the highly contagious omicron variant, which has contaminated or exposed crews.

For the federation representing merchants, NRF, the measure is also “welcome”, in particular because it brings “more clarity”.

In New York it will allow to help restaurants that, in addition to suffering the cancellation of many end-of-year events, were forced to close when cooks and waiters had to isolate themselves, said Andrew Rigie, of the Alliance of Hotels and Catering Trades. “We cannot stop the economy every time,” he told AFP.

Unions are more reluctant.

When the administration decided last week to shorten the isolation periods for health personnel infected with COVID-19, the NNU nurses union predicted “more transmission, illness and death.”

The union of flight attendants and stewardesses AFA fears for its part that the companies will pressure the workers to resume their tasks after five days, even if they do not feel better.

“We cannot allow pandemic fatigue to lead to decisions that extend the duration of the pandemic or hold workers accountable for it,” he said in a statement.

Psychological effect

For Joseph LaVorgna, chief economist at Natixis, the new recommendations will not have “a substantial effect on the economy”, but a positive “psychological effect”.

“People were worried a few weeks ago about having to face a new period of confinement,” he told AFP.

The new rules “remove that perspective, pushing people to move on with their lives faster.”

It is still too early to accurately quantify the impact of omicron, especially as the holiday season tends to confuse the indicators, observed Oren Klachkin of Oxford Œconomicus.

In any case, the reduction of the quarantine period will alleviate “at least temporarily the problems of labor shortages.”

For economist Joel Naroff, however, “this will not make existing problems disappear”, such as difficulties in the supply chain outside the United States, the low participation rate in the labor market or the end of government aid.

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