A dormitory for foreign workers in Singapore. (Photo: AFP/VNA)Singapore (VNA) – Singapore’s Ministry of Healthsaid the country will pilot home isolation for people who are infected withcoronavirus and have mild or no symptoms from August 30.
Speaking at a press conference on August 19, Health Minister Ong Ye Kungsaid the pilot is a crucial step in Singapore’s journey towards living withCOVID-19 as an endemic disease, the Straits Times reported.
Singapore currently has two layers of COVID-19 recovery care- hospitals, and community care facilities, he said, adding that the pilot aimsto add a third layer to allow patients with mild symptoms to recover at homeand free up resources and hospital beds.
However, to qualify for a home isolation scheme, thepatients and their family members must meet certain conditions. For example,everyone in their home must be fully vaccinated and must not belong to anyvulnerable groups such as pregnant women or the elderly.
The COVID-19 patients will be treated at a medical facilityfor a few days, then will be allowed to stay in isolation at home when the amount ofSARS-CoV-2 virus in the body decreases. In addition, all family members willhave to be quarantined at home until the infected person recovers.
The announcement comes as the number of daily COVID-19 casescontinues to decline steadily after tighter measures introduced last monthproved to be effective.
As of August 17, the country saw an average of 63 new casesa day in the past week, about half of the figure two weeks before.
On the same day, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singaporeannounced that the country will allow quarantine-free entry from next month totravelers from Germany and Brunei who are vaccinated against COVID-19, as partof a plan to gradually reopen its borders.
Border restrictionswill also be gradually eased for all visitors from the Chinese territories of Hong Kongand Macau from August 21, the agency said./.
