General infection control advice that applies to all 

Hand hygiene and cough etiquette 

• Have good hand hygiene and keep your hands clean. Use soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Use a paper tissue or crook of the elbow when coughing or sneezing. Dispose of the tissue and wash your hands afterwards.

See:

• Hand hygiene, cough etiquette, cleaning and laundry

In case of respiratory tract symptoms

• Everyone who is ill should stay at home and have a low threshold for being tested. This also applies to people who are vaccinated and protected.

• Read more about what you should do if you are sick or suspect you are infected with coronavirus: What should you do with newly-arisen respiratory tract symptoms?

Testing 

The following people are recommended to test themselves: 

• Anyone with newly-arisen respiratory tract symptoms or other symptoms of COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status 

• Unvaccinated household members or equivalently close contacts to someone who is infected 

• Partially vaccinated household members or equivalent close contacts to the infected person

• Other unvaccinated close contacts 

If you test positive with a rapid antigen test, it is recommended to take a PCR test to confirm the test result. 

Isolation in case of infection

• It is a requirement that people who have been confirmed infected with COVID-19 must isolate themselves. This also applies to people who are vaccinated and protected.

See: 

• Close contacts and isolation

Contact tracing

• If you are infected, or are a parent of someone who is infected, you are encouraged to notify other close contacts and encourage testing.
• Read more about Close contacts and isolation

Close contacts

• Vaccinated household members or equivalent close contacts are not recommended to avoid contact with others, but should be tested if they develop symptoms.
• Unvaccinated household members and equivalent close contacts to known infected people are recommended to avoid contact with others for 7 days or to get tested.
• Read more about Close contacts and isolation

Advice for risk groups

Separate advice applies to people in risk groups. In the advice, we distinguish between groups with different degrees of risk, and between vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Unvaccinated individuals at increased risk of COVID-19 can reduce the risk of respiratory tract infections by avoiding crowds and keeping their distance.

Read the advice here:

• Risk groups and their relatives

Other infection control advice

Keeping a physical distance and having fewer contacts have been a main part of the advice throughout the pandemic. Keeping a distance from others where possible can prevent transmission of respiratory tract infections, but is no longer a general recommendation. Recommendations to keep a distance and to reduce the number of contacts can still be given locally, if the infection situation makes it necessary.

The previous advice about distance and fewer contacts can be found here:  

• Social distance and physical contact (archived article)

The risk of transmission is lower outdoors than indoors. In general in this phase, it is also recommended to ensure good ventilation. In private homes, it is recommended to air rooms regularly or between the use by different groups.

Face masks have been recommended in situations where it is not possible to maintain the recommended distance. In previous phases of the pandemic, the recommendations for face masks have been based on the local infection situation. There is no national recommendation for the use of face masks. Recommendations for the use of face masks can still be given locally if the infection situation makes it necessary.

Read more about face masks:

• Face mask and visor use by the general public