Identify criteria for those who can undergo home isolation
(Eagle News) – Malacanang and health authorities encouraged the public experiencing mild symptoms and those who have no symptoms at all to just self-quarantine or isolate at their homes if they do not have senior citizens or those with comorbidities in their households.
”Ito po ang mensahe namin: Tumulong tayong protektahan ang ating healthcare system. Sa mga walang sintomas o may mild or moderate na sintomas, puwedeng mag-isolate sa bahay. This will help us prioritize healthcare facilities for those with severe and moderate cases of COVID, or high-risk COVID cases with comorbidities,” said Palace spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles.
– Qualifications for home quarantine-
Nograles stressed that those who are allowed to do “home isolation” are those who have their own rooms for isolation and have their own toilets or comfort rooms in their rooms. Secondly, they should not have senior citizens or those 60 years and above, and those with comorbidities in their homes.
“Paalala lamang po: Ang home isolation ay papayagan kung, una, hiwalay ang inyong kuwarto sa ibang mga miyembro ng pamilya; pangalawa, kapag may sariling banyo ang kuwarto; at pangatlo, kapag walang kasamang matanda, bata o may comorbidities.”
“So let’s do our part to prevent the spread of COVID. If you suspect that you have COVID, stay home, isolate at makipag-ugnayan sa inyong LGU o sa doktor tungkol sa telemedicine,”the Palace official said.
-Coordinate with One Hospital Command Center-
Earlier, Health Secretary Francisco Duque directed hospitals to prioritize the admission of moderate, severe and critical cases and to coordinate with the One Hospital Command regarding the referral of cases.
Duque said that it is important that only severe or critical cases are handled by hospitals to “decongest hospitals.” He said it is important for the mild and asymptomatic cases to be handled in temporary treatment and monitoring facilities or to undergo home isolation or quarantine if they have their own rooms and comfort rooms, apart from the rest of the household.
“Kaya naman aming pinaaalalahanan ang mga ospital na bigyang prayoridad ang pagtanggap o pag-admit ng atin pong mga moderate, severe, at critical cases at makipag-ugnayan sa atin pong One Hospital Command Center upang mai-refer ang mga mild at asymptomatic na pasyente sa mga Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMFs). At kung papasa sa requirements ay maaaring sa kani-kanilang mga bahay na po mag-isolate ang mga ito. So napakamalaking bagay po na sundin po ito para madecongest ang ating mga facilities,” Duque said in the latest Talk To The People of President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday, January 10.
COVID-19 treatment czar Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega, head of the One Hospital Command, said on Thursday, January 13, 2022, that they have been receiving an increased number of calls, comparative to the September 2021 peak in cases. But the difference now is that most of the cases are regarding mild or asymptomatic cases asking about isolation or temporary treatment facilities.
Vega said that there are just 15 percent of the calls they receive need referral to a hospital or to an ICU bed.
-Proposed shorter quarantine for asymptomatic cases-
The DOH has proposed to shorten the quarantine period for fully vaccinated asymptomatic cases to seven days. This however is still to be approved by the IATF.
The IATF however has already approved shorter quarantine period for health care workers with mild symptoms or those who are asymptomatic. These health care workers can just quarantine for five days but will only go back to work if approved by the director of their health facility.
This is to address problems on sufficiency of health care workers who can attend to COVID-19 cases in health centers experiencing a surge in COVID patients as well as in COVID-19 testing laboratories.
Malacanang and the DOH have earlier noted that most of the cases in the country are just mild or asymptomatic cases despite the exponential surge in COVID-19 infections which are hallmarks of the highly infectious Omicron variant.
(Eagle News Service)
