BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III
Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia identified in an executive order yesterday persons infected with the coronavirus who are allowed to have hospital-supervised home quarantine or HSHQ.
In EO Number 32, Leonardia said that the barangay health emergency response teams will conduct ocular inspections and family interviews to assess qualifications.
Under the EO, a person who is confirmed asymptomatic, or has mild Covid-19 symptoms and vulnerable, or with co-morbidities or pre-existing medical conditions will be allowed to apply for a hospital-supervised home quarantine.
HOME QUARANTINE
The EO stressed that a patient’s home should meet the conditions and requirements in the home care checklist or, as confirmed by the Regional Task Force on Covid-19, the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities within the region is fully occupied and the local government unit does not have sufficient isolation facilities.
The hospital-supervised home quarantine will be terminated upon the proper discharge of the patient but if the condition of the contact, suspect, probable, or confirmed case of Covid-19 worsens, or if they are unable to properly comply with home quarantine or isolation protocols, the patient shall be admitted to a Ligtas Covid Center or the appropriate health facility, Leonardia said.
Leonardia added that patients with mild symptoms, who have completed at least 10 days of isolation from the onset of illness, either at home or at a temporary treatment and monitoring facility, inclusive of three days of being clinically recovered and asymptomatic, can be discharged and reintegrated to the community without the need for further testing, provided that a licensed medical doctor clears the patient.
The mayor said that confirmed cases with mild symptoms can be tagged as recovered once the discharge criteria are met while asymptomatic, immune-competent individuals who test PCR positive and remained asymptomatic for at least 10 days from date of specimen collection, can discontinue isolation after 10 days and be tagged as a recovered confirmed case without need for further testing, provided a licensed medical doctor certifies or clears the patient. The punong barangays and their enforcement officials, with the assistance of the police, are directed to assist the City Government in enforcing the HSHQ, particularly in conducting routine monitoring that the patients and persons in the same household are complying with their home-confinement within the period of their isolation/quarantine.*
