Some business leaders and public health experts had called for quarantine and isolation periods to be shortened as the highly infectious Omicron variant drives a surge in cases.

U.S. officials cut the number of days that they recommend people isolate after being infected with Covid-19 to five days from 10, reflecting recent research, new pandemic-management ideas and stress on some industries as the Omicron variant has sickened workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that people who have been infected with Covid-19 and are asymptomatic may leave isolation after five days and should wear masks around other people for five more days.

The risk of infection diminishes significantly toward the end of such windows, they said, and long absences for workers have strained operations at hospitals, airlines and other businesses.

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