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Govt considers flexible Covid-19 isolation options

The executive director in the health ministry Ben Nangombe said the government is considering more flexible options for isolation and quarantine. 

Recently, Nangombe admitted to Eagle FM that the ministry ran out of isolation beds and said COVID-19 positive cases now have to self isolate from now onwards. 

Meanwhile, when Eagle FM reached out to the Health Minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula whether the Ministry was looking into introducing self-isolation, Dr Shangula was adamant to stay on track with the current response to COVID-19. 

Nangombe did not give any further information into the options but said Cabinet is deliberating on it. 

Self-isolation is practised by most countries around the world including Namibia’s neighbour South Africa, Africa’s epicentre. 

Self-isolating means staying at home and not leaving it.

In South Africa, the guidelines announced by the Health Ministry are:

Those who self-isolate/quarantine should observe basic hygiene such as frequently washing their hands, using a cloth mask and avoiding touching their hands, eyes and mouth.

A person in self-quarantine/isolation should minimise close contact with other household members by avoiding face-to-face contact closer than 1 metre with them. The other household residents do not need to self-isolate provided these precautions are followed.

People in self-quarantine/isolation should take their meals to their rooms to eat, use cutlery that isn’t shared with the rest of the household, wash their dishes separately and dry them with a separate tea towel, and use their own toilet paper, hand towels and toothpaste.

A person in self-quarantine/isolation can wash their dirty laundry with the rest of the household if they do the washing themselves, but they should only fold and put away their own items.

If such a person does not have access to a washing machine, they have to wait 72 hours after their 14-day isolation period has ended before taking their laundry to a laundrette.

In England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, citizens are also allowed to self isolate to relieve pressure from the government.

Wonder Guchu

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