(Bloomberg) -- Italy’s government is set to ease coronavirus quarantine rules in a bid to keep essential services running.

Ministers are discussing whether to lift the quarantine requirement completely for people who come into contact with a Covid-19 case if they have had three vaccine doses, according to a government official. The isolation time would also be cut to five days from seven for vaccinated people whose most recent dose was more than 120 days before exposure, the official said.

Non-vaccinated people will still need to isolate for 10 days, the official said.

A cabinet meeting is scheduled later Wednesday to approve the measures. The revised rules are set to come into force as Italy faces a surge in virus cases that are threatening to disrupt essential services.

There were 98,030 confirmed cases on Wednesday, up from 78,313 a day earlier, fueled by the fast-spreading omicron Covid-19 variant.

Initial studies on the variant suggesting it’s milder than other strains -- especially for people who have received three vaccine doses -- has increased pressure on public-health officials to ease their stance on isolation. 

Other countries have taken similar steps to prevent staff shortages that would disrupt healthcare and education.

In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that anyone who has Covid-19 can leave isolation after five days if they are no longer experiencing symptoms, cutting the recommended period in half.

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