Bacolod amends guidelines for hospital-supervised home isolation

BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia on Saturday, June 12, 2021, issued an executive order (EO) amending an earlier order that provided the application and guidelines for hospital-supervised home isolation for asymptomatic, mild, or moderate Covid-19 cases in Bacolod City.

Leonardia, who signed EO No. 28-A, modified EO No. 28 to expand its applicability and implementation pursuant to the policy and directives of the National Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and its allied agencies.

He said at present, the City of Bacolod has been experiencing a spike and rebound in Covid-19 infections in the last 14 days from May 2021 until the early days of June 2021.

The Department of Health (DOH)-Western Visayas classified Bacolod City as a “high-risk” area for Covid-19.

“More vigilance and caution must continue to be observed and exercised in matters of public safety and health protocols,” he said.

Since May, Leonardia, along with medical practitioners, business sectors and city officials, held various video conferences and discussed the city’s situation to address the city’s Covid-19 cases.

On June 12, the mayor along with the city IATF, Emergency Operations Center and other city officials also held a video conference in further assessing the spike and rebound in infections with the preparation for a possible anticipated escalation of the City’s community quarantine to either general community or modified enhanced community quarantine.

“Always foremost to the concern of the City Government is the health and safety of its constituents with the healthcare and treatment of the infected be put in proper order, while at the same time to protect the uninfected in order to achieve a balance in the socio-economic well-being of all concerned, especially in maintaining economic sustainability,” Leonardia said.

Section 1 of the EO stated that Section 1 (f) of EO No. 28 is deleted, adopting Memorandum Circular No. 2021-0004 dated January 22, 2021 of the DOH, Part II (Amendments).

It said Covid patients are qualified to apply for hospital-supervised home isolation/quarantine if all the following concurrent conditions are met:

(a) The patient is confirmed by the Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams (Bherts) or local health officer, through ocular inspection and family interview, that the patient is an asymptomatic or mild Covid-19 case only or the patient is considered vulnerable or with comorbidities;

(b) The patient’s home meets the conditions and requirements set by the DOH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

The hospital-supervised home quarantine (HSHQ) shall terminate upon the proper discharge of the patient, provided that such HSHQ shall effectively be pre-terminated.

If throughout the home quarantine or isolation 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 said subjects will be admitted to a Ligtas Covid Center or an appropriate health facility.

Patients under HSHQ may end home quarantine following the guidelines specified by the DOH.

Patients with mild symptoms who have completed at least 10 days of isolation from the onset of illness either at home or a temporary treatment and monitoring facility inclusive of 3 days of being clinically recovered and asymptomatic can be discharged and reintegrated into the community without the need for further testing;

Asymptomatic, immune-competent individuals who test PCR positive and remained asymptomatic for at least 10 days from the date of specimen collection can discontinue isolation after 10 days and be tagged as a recovered confirmed case without the need for further testing, provided a licensed medical doctor certifies or clears the patient.

Close contacts who remain asymptomatic for at least 14 days from date of exposure can discontinue their quarantine without the need for any test.

Any provision in EO 28, Series of 2020, referring to patients suffering from Covid-19 moderate condition qualifying them for HSHQ is deemed repealed, and those provisions inconsistent in the amendatory provisions of this Executive Order No. 28-A are likewise repealed, the EO further stated.