Home Isolation of COVID-19 Patients in Delhi: What You Must Know

Individuals who test positive for the novel coronavirus will be referred to CCCs to assess severity of illness.

Image used for representational purpose.

(File Image: PTI)

All patients who test positive for the novel coronavirus in Delhi will be referred to COVID care centres (CCCs) to decide if they can be isolated at their homes, said an order by the Arvind Kejriwal government on Sunday, 21 June.

This comes after Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal withdrew an order mandating five-day institutional quarantine for every person who tests positive.

So, what happens when a person tests positive for COVID-19 in Delhi? How is it decided whether the person goes into home quarantine? Here’s all you need to know.

What is the next step after a person tests positive for coronavirus?

• Individuals who test positive for the novel coronavirus will be referred to CCCs to assess the severity of their illness.
• They will be be assessed for clinical condition, severity of illness, and co-morbidities.
• Based on the assessment, the CCC will recommend either home quarantine, institutional quarantine, or hospitalisation.

However, the Delhi government on Monday, 22 June, appealed to the central government to scrap the CCC assessment, saying that this has burdened the “administration and the healthcare system.” Further orders are awaited from the Centre. Watch this space for more details.

What is a CCC? Is it a hospital?

The CCCs are makeshift facilities. These may be set up in hostels, hotels, schools, stadiums, lodges etc, both public and private. If need be, existing quarantine facilities could also be converted to CCCs.

How many CCCs are there in Delhi? Who will refer the person who tests positive to a care centre?

There is no official data on the number of CCCs in Delhi. However, the lab/hospital through which the COVID-19 test is done will refer the person to the nearest care centre.

When can a person opt for home quarantine?

If adequate facility for home isolation exists, and the person on clinical assessment is found to have no co-morbidities and doesn’t require hospitalisation, they can opt for home isolation.

A physical assessment will be done by the Delhi government to ensure that facilities for home isolation like a minimum of two rooms and a separate toilet exist so that other family members are protected.

I have mild symptoms. But I do not have any space in my home for quarantine. What are my options?

A person who has mild symptoms but does not have adequate space in their house would be offered to either continue to stay in a CCC or opt for a paid isolation facility.

The central government had said that anyone who tests positive in Delhi will undergo institutional quarantine. Does that still apply?

No. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Saturday, 20 June, withdrew the order mandating five-day institutional quarantine, within 24 hours of issuing it.

“Regarding institutional isolation, only those COVID positive cases which do not require hospitalisation on clinical assessment & do not have adequate facilities for home isolation would be required to undergo institutional isolation,” he tweeted.