Asymptomatic COVID-19 patients can stay under home isolation with certain riders

HAILAKANDI: Asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients can stay under home isolation provided they adhere to certain health related protocols. Deputy Commissioner, Hailakandi, Megh Nidhi Dahal said this while interacting with cross section of people through video conferencing here on Monday.

Dahal made it crystal clear that the administration as per the standing instruction of the state government would allow home isolation of asymptomatic COVID-19 persons provided they fulfilled certain conditions. Explaining in details the conditions, Dahal said the COVID-19 afflicted asymptomatic patients have to give an undertaking that they will look after their health vitals at periodic intervals such as oxygen saturation level through Oximeter, blood pressure level, maintain isolation from rest of the members of the family especially persons with co-morbidities, use separate room and toilet and arrange conveyance in case of any health emergency.

Dahal said though the administration has no problems in referring asymptomatic persons to home isolation provided they fulfilled certain conditions as laid down, it would insist on their moving to COVID Care Centres (CCCs) and isolation wards of hospitals where they would be given medical care and where all possible arrangements have been put in place to ensure that they are comfortably placed. He said unlike in the past where caterers supplied food to the people housed in CCCs, facility quarantine centres (FQCs) and hospitals which led to complaints regarding food quality, the administration has started serving hot quality food cooked in kitchens near the CCCs and FQCs.

In course of the interaction, Dahal said the administration would now no longer enforce closure of any shop or establishment for a longer period of time in the event of any shopkeeper or employee is detected corona positive but would ensure that the shop or establishment gets opened within 72 hours if rest of the employees' swab samples are found negative under RT-PCR following Rapid Antigen Test and after proper sanitisation of the premises.

Making an impassioned plea to everyone to come forward voluntarily to get their swab tested at the 19 COVID Screening and Testing Centres set up across the district, Dahal said the key to preventing further transmission of the highly contagious disease is to identify a corona patient and immediately put him or her under isolation. "Early detection of corona cases through RAT and putting infected persons under isolation is the only way to prevent the disease from spreading further in the community. And towards this end, we seek the wholehearted support and cooperation of all segments of society to make Hailakandi free from COVID-19 and to avert a total lockdown."

Dahal disclosed that the administration has formed around 45 teams of doctors and para medics who will visit different parts of the district to collect swab samples. He said that the target for swab testing under RAT has been set at 2,000 per day. ANMs, GNMs and other health workers would be trained up for swab collection purpose, he said.

The Deputy Commissioner further said that the administration would ensure health status of persons under home isolation are being monitored by health functionaries twice a day between 8 am to 8 pm. "This system has been put in place to keep a tab on the health conditions of asymptomatic corona patients under home isolation to avert major health complications," he said.

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