A household in Hóc Môn District with a home-quarantined COVID-19 patient. HCM City has reduced the minimum period a patient has to be at home from 14 to 10 days. – Photo thanhnien.vn

HCM CITY – COVID-19 patients treated at home in HCM City and cured now have to stay home only for 10 days and not 14, the city Department of Health has said.

They had to stay at home for at least 14 days even if they had recovered several days earlier, but now they no longer have to self-isolate once they are cured.

COVID patients can treat themselves at home if they are asymptomatic or only have slight symptoms, and are aged between three months and 64 years.

They must not have underlying medical conditions or be pregnant or obese, and should have received two vaccine shots.

Patients who do not satisfy the above conditions can still remain home if their underlying conditions are stable or they show no signs of health problems or are fully vaccinated.

Children or people who cannot care for themselves need to have caretakers.

If a patient qualifies for home treatment but has a family member at high risk, they will be encouraged to quarantine elsewhere or sent to a public facility.

Local medical stations have been instructed to guide COVID patients on what equipment they need and how to monitor themselves.

COVID medicines will be provided quickly to patients depending on their symptoms, including oral anti-coagulants and anti-viral drugs.

HCM City, the country's COVID epicentre, has recorded 11 cases of the new Omicron variant as of January 6, all imported. 

They are being treated at Thủ Đức City’s Field Hospital No. 12.

The city is contact tracing and testing related airline crews, passengers and quarantine zone staff, and so far 223 have tested negative.

It has been bracing for the Omicron variant, especially since commercial flights to the city have partially resumed.

Its preventive measures include tighter inspection at ports and Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, where passengers are tested for COVID, quickly administering vaccine booster shots to its populace and setting up more field hospitals.

The daily number of new cases and death are on the decline. – VNS