As hospitals get overwhelmed with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases, the city government here is now allowing patients with mild or no symptoms to isolate at home, an official said Monday.

Mayor Sara Z. Duterte, in a radio interview, said at least 365 patients have so far been allowed to stay at home to isolate.

Based on the Department of the Interior and Local Government Guidelines on the stricter conduct of home quarantine for mild and asymptomatic Covid-19 patients, positive patients are only allowed to be isolated at home so long as the patient has his/her own room and bathroom, and is not living with vulnerable household members like senior citizens, people with underlying health conditions, and pregnant women.

“These are for asymptomatic and mild cases only,” Duterte stressed, adding that moderate, severe, and critical cases will still have to be transferred to medical facilities to prevent complications.

She added that patients in home isolation are assisted via telemedicine and provided with Caring for People Awaiting Transport (CPAT) kits.

“They are assisted remotely by the Covid-19 Task Force. If they are in home isolation, people who lived with them should always wear a face mask and they [Covid-19 positive] must have their own bedroom and comfort room. The CPAT kits will be used for monitoring their oxygen level and [the recording] of their vitamin intakes,” Duterte said.

She also said that district health officials will be the ones to assess if a patient is qualified for home isolation.

Duterte clarified that home isolation will only be suggested if the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities (TTMF) in the city are already fully occupied.

“Our number one priority is the facility isolation to reduce the risk inside the household. Number two, when our TTMF group will tell us that they cannot accommodate more patients, that’s the [time] we will be looking through the positive cases who are qualified for home isolation,” she clarified.

Despite the surge of cases, Duterte said the city will still have the same action plan – test, trace isolate, or quarantine and treat. (PNA)