A person who tests positive for COVID-19 whether symptomatic or not, should isolate in their homes for 10 days.

This is the advisory from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said an isolation period of 10 days for confirmed cases remains in place.

He said as per the revised isolation requirements, the case is able to leave isolation without repeat testing once 10 days have passed since the start of symptoms (with at least three consecutive days of no symptoms) or the positive test (for asymptomatic cases).

He added that the Ministry’s COVID-19 Taskforce has reviewed the evidence and recommended changes to isolation and quarantine protocols.

“The changes have been recommended based on the scientific evidence while taking into account the need to prevent severe disruption to essential services that will arise should a large number of workers be required to isolate or quarantine.”

Rapid Antigen Tests

He said rapid antigen tests were essential in detecting the people needed to be found and isolated.

“These tests are more accessible than PCR tests, and the turnaround from sampling to result is much faster. However, antigen tests will miss people with lower amounts of the virus early in the disease.

“With the high prevalence of COVID-19 currently, if you have symptoms of COVID-19 and test negative on a single rapid antigen test, you should still assume you have COVID-19 and self-isolate.”

Primary Contacts

The ministry has advised that all primary contacts who are asymptomatic should quarantine in their homes for 10 days.

The ministry said primary contacts should isolate themselves from their household members and monitor for any COVID-19 symptoms.

The ministry reiterates should primary contacts develop COVID-19 symptoms, they should visit the nearest screening clinic for testing. Should Primary Contacts return COVID-19 positive results they will be provided immediate advice and care by the health teams at the screening facility.

Isolation and quarantine for a non-health workplace

Dr Fong has also stated that non-health workplaces that wish to follow the ministry’s revised seven-day isolation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) would be required to cater for the testing requirement and strict masking requirement at their own cost.

The Ministry of Health’s SOP states: “Any health worker that returns a positive test result will be required to self-isolate at home for seven days, become asymptomatic, and return a negative RDT test on the 6th and 7th day before they can return to work.

“They will be required to maintain strict masking for the remainder of three days to complete the 10-day isolation requirement before they are fully discharged from isolation. In the unusual circumstances where the healthcare worker’s absence will severely debilitate the health service, processes will be put in place by the respective health care facility to ensure that a safe corridor of movement and work is created for asymptomatic healthcare workers while maintaining the full isolation requirements.”

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