The decision comes a day after the Autonomous Region of Madeira reduced to five days the period of isolation for asymptomatic infected individuals and of those who had contact with positive cases.

The General Directorate of Health said, in a statement, that it informed the Ministry of Health today (30 December) about the reduction of the period of prophylactic isolation.

"This decision is in line with guidelines from other countries and is the result of a technical and thoughtful reflection, given the incubation period of the now predominant variant, Omicron", says the DGS.

The United States has also reduced, from ten to five days, the length of isolation period for people who test positive for Covid-19, as long as they are asymptomatic.

The UK has also cut the isolation period from ten to seven days for vaccinated people who become infected.