James Kon
Following the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, over 99 per cent of which are classified under Categories 1 and 2, the Ministry of Health (MoH) yesterday provided updates on the management procedures for positive cases.
Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar said at the press conference yesterday, “The management of positive cases at isolation centres focusses on cases in Categories 3, 4 and 5 requiring medical treatment. Those in Categories 1 and 2 will be allowed to undergo home isolation. Each family or household will be given a health package containing necessities that include an antigen rapid test (ART) kit, blood oxygen level monitor (oximeter), medication and health information leaflets.
“The MoH is collaborating with the Ministry of Transport and Infocommunications, the E-Government National Centre (EGNC) and Comquest Sdn Bhd (the operator for Darussalam Line 123) for the implementation of tasks such as assessment of health status of newly confirmed positive COVID-19 cases, monitoring of positive cases undergoing home isolation, and delivery of ART kits and health packages commencing February 15.
“Confirmation of COVID-19 infection status will be extended to the use of ART – not solely relying on reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab testing alone.
However, members of the public who are not close contacts to a positive case are required to have two positive ART tests, and subsequently register the results of the positive ART test at www.moh.gov.bn/ARTreport or by contacting Darussalam Line 123,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, contact tracing will focus more on primary contacts, high-risk contacts and other vulnerable groups. These close contacts are required to report their health status through the self-assessment tool on the BruHealth app.
The quarantine period for close contacts has been updated to five days. They will be required to undergo ART testing on the first and fifth day. They will only be deemed to have completed the quarantine if both ART tests are negative. Close contacts can use their own ART kit.
However, those close contacts who require an ART kit can call Darussalam Line 123.
Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham also revealed that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) will in the near future issue a guideline for civil servants who have been red-coded on the BruHealth app. Other contacts (such as secondary contacts) are no longer required to undergo quarantine and are advised to monitor their own health status and conduct ART tests should they start to show symptoms of the infection.
Additionally, the MoH is collaborating with Unified National Networks (UNN) to send SMS to individuals confirmed positive and have a purple BruHealth code, starting today.
The public is advised to ensure their phone numbers are updated in their Bru-HIMS account.
