Home Quarantine Guidelines Philippines

With the surge of COVID-19 cases this year because of the highly infectious Omicron variant, the Department of Health or DOH released a new set of home quarantine guidelines for individuals who tested positive with the COVID-19 virus. This is to keep the hospitals from being congested as the number of new cases breached is 30,000.

To be aware of the new home quarantines guidelines, we collected some information that will help you know more about the revised guidelines.

Who can do home quarantine?

According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, as long as the patient has their room, bathroom, sufficient ventilation, and medical monitoring, home quarantine may be an option for those infected with Covid-19 and are experiencing its symptoms.

In addition, families with members who have tested positive for Covid may be subject to quarantine at home if they are asymptomatic, do not belong to the vulnerable group or have come into contact with someone who has tested positive and is showing symptoms.

What are the requirements for home quarantine?

You must meet the following requirements according to DOH for you to be allowed to undergo home quarantine:

1. A line of communication must be possible and readily available for family and health workers in your home.
2. Your home must have electricity, potable water, and a cooking source.
3. There must be a separate bedroom with a bathroom, toilet, and sink.
4. Good solid waste and sewage disposal
5. The house and room must be well-ventilated.
6. There must be no vulnerable person in your household.
7. An accessible bathroom in your residence must be available for other family members.

Resource for patient care and support 

1. A primary caregiver who will remain in your home must be readily available. The caregiver must not be at high risk for complications and must be educated about the proper precautions.
2. The patient must have available medications for pre-existing conditions when needed.
3. You must have a digital thermometer and pulse oximeter, which must be disinfected before and after use.
4. Someone must be readily available for meal preparations.
5. Availability of masks, tissues, and hygiene products is a must.
6. You must also have a supply of household cleaning products.

Everyone inside the household must observe the minimum public health standards (MPHS), which are:

• proper wearing of masks
• social distancing
• proper handwashing

Meanwhile, mild to moderate symptomatic individuals are advised to maximize the use of telemedicine services to avoid transmission and prevent hospital congestion.

On the other hand, symptomatic people who tested positive with COVID-19 but don't meet the above requirements for home quarantine must go to facility isolation.

Updated quarantine period based on vaccination status

The Department of Health also implemented a shortened quarantine and isolation period for those completely immunized against COVID-19 patients and their close family and contacts. Under these amended recommendations, if a probable, asymptomatic, or mild COVID patient has been completely vaccinated, the isolation time would be reduced to seven days.

On another note, the 10-day quarantine for people who are partly vaccinated and unvaccinated is still in effect.

To guide you well, here are the complete guidelines for the updated quarantine period:

Asymptomatic Cases

For probable case (w/ symptoms) or mild case

• If fully vaccinated: 7 days from onset of symptoms
• If partially vaccinated or unvaccinated: 10 days from onset of symptoms

For asymptomatic case

• If fully vaccinated: 7 days from positive RT PCR test result
• If partially vaccinated or unvaccinated: 10 days from positive rt PCR test result

For moderate symptoms

Regardless of vaccination status, people with moderate symptoms must have an isolation period of 10 days from the onset of symptoms.

Severe and Critical Cases

• Regardless of vaccination status, people who need further medical management assistance must render 21 days of isolation from the onset of symptoms.
• Meanwhile, for immunocompromised patients, 21 days of isolation period is also advised from the onset of symptoms with a negative repeat rt PCR test, regardless of vaccination status.

Asymptomatic Close Contacts

For the fully vaccinated general public

Five days of isolation period is required with continued monitoring for up to 14 days. Strict adherence to MPHS is also strongly advised.

For the partially vaccinated or unvaccinated general public

Fourteen days of isolation period is required with continued monitoring up to 14 days. Strict adherence to MPHS is also strongly advised.

For fully vaccinated healthcare workers

Five days isolation period is required.

For fully vaccinated with boosters healthcare workers

No isolation period is required based on the risk and benefit assessment of the hospital's infection prevention and control committee (IPCC) or the Provincial Health Office and other sectors with Infection Prevention Committee or IPC.

In addition, healthcare professionals, the elderly, and those with impaired immune systems will be given first priority for testing so that they may be treated within the first five days of developing symptoms, according to Vergeire.

Optional RT PCR Test for asymptomatic contacts

For community-level interventions, testing should no longer be necessary for asymptomatic close contacts. Instead, constant observation for signs and symptoms is advised.

In connection with this, locations where there is community transmission, contact tracing, a critical component of the public health response, will also no longer be a priority intervention under the new recommendations. This is because the Department of Interior and Local Government was directed to broaden the responsibilities of contact tracers to support public health initiatives like home quarantine monitoring and vaccination assistance.

Home quarantine is a great alternative to help our healthcare workers and as well a good way to preserve the mental health of COVID patients.

With this, it is vital to consider when you start real estate investing in getting a house and lot for sale that has bigger and better living spaces in order to accommodate the needed requirements for home quarantine such as bigger room provisions, bigger lot, and better ventilation.

That's why it's like an answered prayer that Lumina Homes provide all these necessities this time of the pandemic. So, if you're thinking of starting real estate investing now, make sure to check out Lumina Homes' affordable house and lot for sale and experience innovation and development in buying a property.