Health Ministry weighing options to allow for self-quarantine/isolation
— says compliance by the general public is essential moving forward
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, August 13, 2020
Notwithstanding the significant impact COVID-19 has on the lives of Guyanese, newly-appointed Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, today, said his Ministry is currently weighing options to allow persons to be self-quarantined or to self-isolate.
Noting that these strategies will be put in place to allow citizens to be cared for in the comfort of their homes, the Minister relayed that compliance by the general public is essential moving forward.
“What we are trying to do is to shift the system to, first, allow persons to be quarantined in the comfort of their own home, but if that fails, we will have to move to the institutional arrangements.”
Before confirmation is granted, a team from the Ministry will be assigned to visit the homes of these individuals to assess the living arrangements and determine whether or not there is adequate room to facilitate the exercise.
Further, the officials will explain the Ministry’s expectation and will inform the patients of the consequences, if the agreement is breached.
In the meantime, Minister Anthony explained that his Ministry is seeking to improve the conditions at those active institutional quarantine facilities.
He disclosed that he has been made aware of major concerns, by patients, about the state of the facilities and the services being offered.
Minister Anthony pointed out that talks to address the issue were held with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) who manage the facilities.
“We have had discussions with the CDC. They have had particular challenges therefore, we are trying to iron out some of the kinks they might have had,” he disclosed.
Minister Anthony indicated that moving forward; a quarantine facility must only house those persons who may be suspected to have contracted the disease and are under observation. However, if they test positive, that individual will then be transferred immediately to an isolation facility.