KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 — Those who have been identified as Covid-19 positive and instructed to home quarantine are not allowed to leave their residence and must be contactable at all times.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that those who have been in close contact with a Covid-positive individual must also self-isolate and quarantine themselves as outlined previously.
In a statement today, he said the priority for swab tests will be given to those who are symptomatic as the ministry would not be able to conduct tests on everyone in a state that has a lot of cases.
“Positive cases can now be handled at home based on early evaluations by a medical health professional from the Covid-19 Assessment Centre (CAC).
“Those who are allowed to stay at home must not be infectious or have only mild symptoms.
“They cannot be from high-risk groups like the elderly and those with chronic diseases.
“They must have a proper carer and their home must be up to the standards set for isolation,” said Dr Noor Hisham.
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) would like to remind eligible individuals to stay home at all times and make sure you are contactable.”
In the same statement, Dr Noor Hisham outlined several criteria that a Covid-positive individual must follow when quarantining at home.
They must stay alone in a separate room, preferably with an attached toilet. If there is no option but to share, all surfaces that are touched must be cleaned.
Another criterion is face-to-face interactions with others in the house must be avoided. If this is unavoidable, make sure everyone is wearing a mask.
The person in quarantine must report their status daily through the MySejahtera App or to the medical officer in charge.
Should they feel their symptoms are getting worse, they are to inform the CAC, nearest health clinic or call 999.
“Apart from that, wash your hands frequently. Practice proper coughing etiquette by using a tissue to cover your mouth and nose. Once done, throw that tissue in the bin and wash your hands immediately.
“Wash all your food utensils so you can reuse them, ensure proper ventilation by opening a window, and lastly, do not receive any visitors,” added Dr Noor Hisham.
“The same rules apply to those who have had close contact with a positive case. You will need to self-isolate and quarantine yourself as previously advised.
“All our efforts must now be channelled towards separating the exposed individuals from the population and 10 days have proven to be enough to lower the infection rate,” he said.
