The US government has just reduced from ten to five days the isolation period for people who test positive for covid-19, provided they are asymptomatic.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in a statement quoted by Agence France Presse, this change is "justified by science," according to which most infections happen in the two days before and three days after symptoms appear.

"These updates allow everyone to continue their daily lives safely," said CDC director Rochelle Walensky, quoted by Lusa.

The Omicron variant, which is more transmissible than the previous ones, is already in the majority in the United States, and the number of cases has been rising sharply in the country, with more than 200,000 cases a day in recent days, approaching the record in January of this year.

Meanwhile, US authorities are concerned about the possible paralysis of some economic sectors due to labor shortages.

In this context, by halving the days of isolation for asymptomatic people, health authorities advise them to wear masks for the next five days.

The duration of quarantine for unvaccinated contacts is also reduced from 14 to five days, also with the advice to wear a mask for the next five days. Under the new recommendations, contacts with full vaccination do not need isolation.

On December 23, the US authorities had already reduced the length of the isolation period for caregivers.

The CDC recommendations have benchmark value and are widely followed in the United States, but are not a federal obligation.

The sharp increase in the number of cases in the country, and the necessary isolation periods, have led airlines to cancel hundreds of flights in recent days.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden acknowledged that hospitals across the country are "overwhelmed, in terms of equipment and staffing," but urged Americans not to "panic."