Individuals who have been instructed to remain in home quarantine for 14 days have been told not to leave their residence for any reason, except fire, reports the GDN's Reem Al Daaysi.

The Health Ministry has stressed legal ramifications against those who break the rule.

Guidelines for home quarantine and disinfection amid the spread of the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) have been published by the ministry, urging people who have returned from abroad to remain in home isolation for a 14-day period.

“It should be emphasised that home quarantine means the individual may not leave the home for any reason (except fire), for any period of time,” said the ministry in its official guidelines posted on its website.

“The legal ramifications of leaving home when in quarantine must be clearly explained.”

It explained that quarantine is to separate and restrict the movement of a person who may have been exposed to a person with Covid-19 but is asymptomatic.

Quarantine is required for patients who are medically stable and can receive care at home or a close contact of a probably or confirmed case of contagious respiratory disease but with a negative swab.

The ministry said the quarantined person must live in their own house or apartment and not in a campus or hotel or within premises that has shared facilities such as a gym or laundry room.

“A suitable home setting means that there should be a dedicated well-ventilated bedroom for the individual and an educated, healthy and rapidly accessible caregiver as well as a reliable communication tool such as a mobile phone,” it said.

“Regular household detergent should be used first for cleaning and then after rinsing a regular household disinfectant containing 0.5 per cent sodium hypochlorite should be applied.

“Continually clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched in the room where the patient is cared for and clean and disinfect the bathroom and toilet surfaces at least twice a day.”

It stated that caregivers should clean the individual’s clothes, bed linen and bath and hand towels at 60C to 90C with common household detergent and dry thoroughly and place contaminated linen into a laundry bag.

The ministry urged that single-use gloves be discarded after every use while cleaning utility gloves with soap and water and decontaminated with 0.5pc sodium hypochlorite solution while also washing hands thoroughly before and after using gloves.

Gloves, masks and other waste generated during the home-patient care should be placed into a waste bin with a lid in the patient’s room before being disposed of as infectious waste.

The Public Health Directorate will be responsible for infectious waste home disposal.

The Public Health Directorate will also be responsible for obtaining contact information and detailed medical history of the quarantined individual as well as provide a 14-day sick leave from the day of the swab collection as well as daily follow-up reports of quarantined individuals to the Health Ministry.

Those who develop symptoms are advised to call 444 and once the quarantine is over the directorate will contact the individual with details about following steps and provide quarantined individuals with required medication if they are on regular medication.

The ministry added that any person found breaking the rule, whether at home or at a medical institution, will face legal action.

The GDN reported on a businessman being fined BD2,000 for violating the self-quarantine rule after returning from Singapore following a business trip.

He was among three people – a doctor and a lawyer – who were being investigated for allegedly breaking the 14-day self-quarantine rule.

reem@gdn.com.bh