LAHORE: The Punjab government on Sunday allowed home isolation of coronavirus patients showing no symptoms or mild symptoms after assessment and approval of the Home Isolation Committee.

The Punjab Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department has notified guidelines for home isolation of Covid-19 patients on the recommendations of the Corona Expert Advisory Group (CEAG) and the Technical Working Group.

The respective deputy commissioners will notify the home isolation committees having a representative of assistant commissioner, deputy district officer (health) and chief officer of tehsil or TMA, which will assess and decide patients’ home isolation on the basis of sufficient number of single rooms available to accommodate one or more than one coronavirus patients.

The guidelines for designated isolation facilities suggest that any residential quarter like hotel, school building, mosque, hostel, community centre or other suitable building with adequate facilities can be used. The isolation facility including rooms, corridors and washrooms will be disinfected on a daily basis. Each coronavirus patient will be kept in a single room with attached bathroom. The patient will be provided only cooked food in disposable utensils.

While making assessment for granting permission for self-isolation, the committee will give due consideration to the level of education of family, general understanding of the disease, self-isolation requirements and maturity to comply with the instructions of the primary and secondary healthcare department.

It will be mandatory for home-isolated patient to monitor his/her health condition and report to the department on a daily basis. It will be mandatory for the patient to comply with the requirements of testing protocols (as and when) required by the caregivers and health department.

LOCKDOWN: Meanwhile, in the wake of easing restrictions of lockdown and allowing various businesses to begin their operations, Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has directed to ensure strict implementation on SOPs during lockdown.

The chief minister directed the administrative departments to strictly monitor lockdown SOPs and warned that taking undue advantage with regard to ease in lockdown would not be tolerated. “The PTI government has allowed ease in lockdown by taking into account economic difficulties of common man,” Mr Budar said.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2020