Dr Hinds: Home isolation working

Epidemiologist Dr Avery Hinds said most people put in home isolation have complied with measures and recommendations put forward by the Ministry of Health.

Speaking at the Ministry of Health's covid19 update on Monday, Hinds said based on reports from the county medical officers of health who directly supervise the home isolation process, most individuals in home quarantine have been following instructions.

He also said there have been no reports of other family members being infected or symptomatic once safety precautions were observed.

"The protocols that are being followed in home isolation, which include enhanced hygiene precautions inside the home...to ask those in home insolation to remain in one part of the home; to use a designated bathroom; not to dine with the family but to have their meals in their room; if they have to come out in the common area of the house they wear a mask to do so – all of these things we have encouraged people in home isolation to do have been working."

Hinds also encouraged people with respiratory symptoms who have not been diagnosed with covid19 to practise home isolation to reduce the chances of infection.

He said people released from home isolation have not shown any lingering health conditions and the "long-covid" monitoring facility did not record any incidents of blood clotting, which is typical of people in post-recovery.