Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte has approved an ordinance requiring symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients to undergo a mandatory individual 10-day isolation in authorized facilities only.
“We deem it necessary to prohibit COVID-19 patients, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, from undergoing isolation in their homes, to prevent infection among their household members as well as their communities, especially with the dreaded and more infectious Delta variant now in Metro Manila,” Belmonte said.
Ordinance No. PO21CC-457, introduced by Majority Floor Leader Franz Pumaren, amended the “Quezon City Individual Quarantine Protocols during the COVID-19 Pandemic” ordinance approved by the Quezon City Council last Aug. 11, 2020.
The latest ordinance authorizes the Quezon City Health Department (QCHD) to require the individual isolation of confirmed cases only in the city’s HOPE community care facilities or other isolation facilities operated by the city’s barangays.
Symptomatic patients who are suspect, probable, or confirmed cases are required to undergo a 10-day isolation as well. They will only be considered recovered and reintegrated into the community without need for further testing “as long as they have completed the said isolation period, have clinically recovered, are no longer symptomatic for at least three days, and have received clearance from a licensed medical doctor.”
Asymptomatic patients are also required to complete 10 days of individual isolation, and will only be considered a recovered confirmed case without need for further testing when they have remained asymptomatic for the entire isolation period and have received clearance from a licensed medical doctor.
Symptomatic patients who are in close contact with a confirmed or probable case will be isolated for 14 days from date of last contact with a probable or confirmed case or until asymptomatic, whichever is longer.
Asymptomatic patients who are in close contact with confirmed or probable cases are required to isolate for 14 days from the date of last contact with a confirmed or probable case.
Fully vaccinated individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to isolate for seven days. They will only be released from isolation after the said period, even without testing or test results, as long as they remain asymptomatic for the entire duration of isolation.
The ordinance also mandates that patients shall remain alone in the isolation facility and interaction with visitors and other persons, including family members, is strictly prohibited.
“The concerned person shall neither share any beddings or utensils with any other person,” the ordinance states.
An isolated person found in public before the expiration of their isolation period may be charged for violation of this ordinance.
Meanwhile, in order to entice COVID-19-positive patients to be isolated at its facilities, the city is currently enhancing and upgrading these to include more amenities such as wifi, computers, TVs, three full meals, snacks, and common areas. All medications are free and a full complement of health workers will be regularly monitoring all patients. (QC LGU) – jlo
