FULLY vaccinated individuals who are in close contact with Covid-19 patients will not need to undergo quarantine if they show no symptoms, the Davao Covid-19 Task Force bared in its latest guidelines.
Covid-19 Task Force Spokesperson Dr. Michelle Schlosser said on Wednesday, July 27, that the body issued new guidelines regarding home isolation and quarantine for fully vaccinated and partially vaccinated asymptomatic patients and close contacts.
Schlosser said the new Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Resolution, which was passed on June 24, provides for a set of much looser quarantine and isolation protocols for asymptomatic but vaccinated and partially vaccinated individuals.
Under the resolution, partially vaccinated or unvaccinated asymptomatic close contact individuals will have to quarantine for at least 14 days from exposure.
Meanwhile, isolation applies to asymptomatic Covid-19 positive individuals.
“When we say isolation, they are RT-PCR test-confirmed Covid positive patients,” Schlosser said in an interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio.
Asymptomatic patients that are fully vaccinated will have to go through seven days of isolation starting from the day their test samples were collected. The same applies for positive or suspected cases of fully vaccinated individuals showing mild symptoms. The isolation period of seven days starts from the onset of symptoms.
Ten days of isolation is required for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated asymptomatic patients manifesting mild symptoms, with the countdown starting from the onset of symptoms. Covid-positive or suspected individuals showing moderate symptoms, irrespective of vaccination status, will also have to undergo isolation for the same amount of time starting from the first day of the onset of symptoms.
For Covid-positive or suspected positive cases showing severe symptoms, regardless of their vaccination status, a 21-day isolation period is required. The same applies for the immunocompromised individuals manifesting severe symptoms. The isolation period will be counted starting from the first day the symptoms were observed.
Schlosser, however, reminded the public to be truthful in reporting symptoms of Covid-19 following the new issued guidelines.
“With these luag na (looser) guidelines on quarantine and isolation, gahangyo gyud mi sa mga tao na ayaw gyud mo pamakak (we are asking the people not to lie), please. Because, this will really put our city at risk,” Scholosser said.
The official recently bared that the city’s active cases increased by 24 percent from last week, hitting almost seven percent in terms of average positivity rate from July 10 to 23, 2022.
From 220 active cases as of July 16, Davao City logged 272 fresh cases as of 8 a.m. on July 24 based on the Vaccination Cluster’s report.
Of the 272, at least 131 are asymptomatic cases, and 127 are mild. About 14 percent of the active cases are moderate.
Of the active cases, at least 129 were on approved home isolation; 68 were admitted to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC); 25 are awaiting endorsement to facility assignment; 17 were admitted to private hospitals; 10 were isolated at temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMFs); eight are for triaging; six are isolated at TTMFs outside the city; and another is under the Davao Doctors Hospital home care program.
Schlosser also emphasized the public to get vaccinated against Covid-19, which she said remains to be the strongest measure to curb the further transmission of the pandemic.
As the Kadayawan festival is fast approaching, the city government recently launched the "Bakuna Para sa Katawhan" on July 26.
The four-day mass vaccination will be held at the People's Park until July 30 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the.
This is open to all Dabawenyos ages five years old and above who are yet to receive their first dose, second dose, missed doses, and booster shot.